Bilawal Bhutto Row: How Modi As Gujarat CM Reacted To Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif Calling Manmohan Singh A 'Dehati Aurat'

Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, lashed out at India at the United Nations on Friday (December 16) for accusing Islamabad of harbouring Osama bin Laden and sponsoring terrorism. In response to the Indian statement at the UN, Bhutto attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

"Osama bin Laden is dead. But the butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the Prime Minister of India," a visibly frustrated Bilawal Bhutto said. The comments made by the Pakistani Foreign Minister have led to widespread protests and condemnation in India.

The silence of the Congress, the largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha, on the issue has led many to question its leadership.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reminded the Congress of its stand on the issue of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif calling the then Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, a "dehati aurat" or a "village woman."

In 2013, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, reacted to Sharif's controversial statement. The statement caused outrage in India and was widely criticized as being disrespectful and offensive.

The BJP had condemned Sharif's comment on Singh as an affront to the office of the Prime Minister of India and called on the government to send a strong response to Islamabad.

Various BJP leaders have also shared the video of the then Chief Minister of Gujarat commenting on the issue at a public rally.

"125 crore logon ke desh ke pradhanmantri hai. Nawaz Sharif, aapki konsi aukaat hai, ki mere desh ke pradhan mantri ko dehaati aurat bolke sambodhit karte ho? (He is the Prime Minister of a 125-crore-strong country. Nawaz Sharif, what is your standing to address the Prime Minister of my country as a rural woman?)," Modi said at the rally.

"How dare you (Sharif) address my nation's Prime Minister as a village woman? There cannot be a bigger insult of the Indian Prime Minister. We can fight with him on policies but this we will not tolerate. This nation of 1.2 billion will not tolerate its Prime Minister's insult," he added.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister attacked the Prime Minister and the RSS at the UN after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted Pakistan's support to terror groups and called it the "epicentre of terrorism".

"At the end of the day, the world is not stupid, the world is not forgetful. And the world does increasingly call out countries and organizations and people who indulge in terrorism," Jaishankar said.