NEW DELHI: Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has yet again stoked a controversy as he called former party Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao "communal" and "the first BJP PM." Aiyar's remarks evoked strong reaction from several quarters, including the BJP, which said 'mukut mani' of the Gandhi family has shone once again as the 2024 elections are approaching.Narasimha Rao led a Congress government and served as the ninth Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996.In his remarks at the launch of his book "Memoirs of a Maverick -- The First Fifty Years (1941-1991)", Aiyar said he discovered "how communal and how Hindu-oriented" P V Narasimha Rao was.Aiyar, who was part of Rajiv Gandhi's PMO from 1985-1989, went on to narrate a conversation he had with Narasimha Rao at a time when he was carrying out 'Ram-Rahim' yatra."Narasimha Rao told me that he had no objection to my yatra, but he disagreed with my definition of secularism.

I said what is wrong with my definition of secularism.

He said Mani you don't seem to understand that this is a Hindu country.

I sat up in my chair and said that is exactly what the BJP says," Aiyar recounted.The first BJP Prime Minister was not Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the "first BJP PM" was Rao, he said.NV Subhash, who is the grandson of P V Narasimha Rao and a BJP spokesperson, slammed Aiyar and said the Congress leader has the habit of making controversial remarks ahead of elections."Mani Shankar Aiyar wanted to create some kind of issue to be discussed all over the country.

PV Narasimha Rao was a Congress party leader and also the PM of this country.

As far as Mani Shankar Aiyar is concerned ...

every time, during the elections, he does this kind of issue where people laugh at him.

His remarks will only benefit the BJP." BJP leader Sambit Patra also slammed Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks.

"The soul of the alliance (INDIA) has been presented by Mani Shankar Aiyar in a written format ...

PV Narasimha Rao was the PM from Congress and the kind of words that have been used for him clearly show that Gandhi family's spokesperson can't tolerate someone outside the Gandhi family becoming the PM, even if the person is from the Congress party ...

Through Mani Shankar Aiyar it has been said that PV Narasimha Rao was BJP's and not Congress's," he said.Patra claimed that Aiyar's remarks against Narasimha Rao had the approval of the Gandhis as they could not tolerate a Prime Minister outside the family.Sambit Patra slams Mani Shankar Aiyar for saying Narasimha Rao ‘first BJP PM’Aiyar's penchant for controversies ahead of the electionsThis is not the first time that Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks have led to controversy ahead of Lok sabha elections.In 2017, during campaign for the Gujarat assembly elections, Aiyar had stoked a major controversy and caused considerable damage to the electoral prospects of the grand old party after he used objectionable words against Prime Minister Modi.

The Congress reacted by suspending Aiyar from the party.

Two years later in 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Aiyar defiantly recalled his remarks against Modi and tried to justify it.Earlier in 2014, Aiyar had made a chaiwala jibe at Narendra Modi, who was then the BJP's prime ministerial candidate.WatchCongress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar calls PV Narasimha Rao the first 'BJP PM'