Former VP Hamid Ansari (ANI image)

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday strongly criticised former Vice President Hamid Ansari over his remarks describing Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire Mahmud of Ghazni as an Indian. The party accused him of distorting history and attempting to “whitewash” the brutal invasions of India.Ansari, who served as Vice President during the Congress-led UPA governments from 2007 to 2012 and again from 2012 to 2017, had said that figures commonly described as foreign invaders in textbooks were, in fact, Indians.“Those whom we describe in our textbooks as foreign invaders—whether it is the Lodhis or Ghazni—were all Indian plunderers. They did not come from outside,” Ansari said.Reacting sharply, BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan questioned the Congress party’s position on Ansari’s statement and accused it of attempting to sanitise violent episodes from history. In a post on X, Kesavan said the remarks were “shocking” and recalled that Ansari had been the Congress-led UPA’s choice for Vice President twice.“Ghazni was not a foreign invader, he was Indian’! Indeed shocking remarks by former Vice President Shri Hamid Ansari ji, who was the Congress led UPA govt’s choice for the post of Vice President, not once but twice. Does the Congress leadership and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi agree with such whitewashing of mercenary brutal raids as mere domestic acts, which demolished Hindu temples and murdered thousands?” Kesavan said. He alleged that Islamic invasions beginning in the early eighth century had systematically targeted Hindu religious sites.Kesavan further said Mahmud of Ghazni carried out 17 raids into India in the 11th century, during which he claimed major temples such as those in Mathura and Somnath were attacked. He also linked the issue to the Congress party’s historical opposition to the reconstruction of the Somnath temple.Shehzad Poonawala, also attacked the Congress over Ansari’s comments, accusing the party of consistently “eulogising Hindu haters” and downplaying atrocities committed against Hindus.Speaking to ANI, Poonawala said, “The Congress ecosystem always eulogises Hindu haters. Whoever attacks or commits atrocities on Hindus is always subjected to whitewashing by the Congress ecosystem. Now, Hamid Ansari says that Ghazni was not a cruel person, that he was just an Indian. It shows the Hindu hatred they have in their mind.”Poonawala also expanded his criticism to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of disrespecting constitutional institutions and national traditions by skipping key official events.“‘Sena and Samvidhan ka apmaan is Congress’s pehchaan’. Rahul Gandhi feels his family is above the Constitution and the Army. For him, ‘parivar tantra’ is more important than ‘samvidhan tantra’,” he alleged.