An old video of another senior Congress leader, who has served in the Cabinet of several Prime Ministers, Mani Shankar Aiyar, has provided fresh ammunition to the BJP on Friday to attack the Congress, which, a few days ago, had worked hard to douse the flames ignited by its leader Sam Pitroda.

In the midst of an aggressive Lok Sabha campaign, the BJP seized upon them, accusing the grand old party of being an apologist for Pakistan and the terrorism emanating from its soil.

Meanwhile, the Congress again quickly distanced itself from Aiyar's comments. His remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the 2014 general elections left a scar on the Congress till now.

In the video, which has gone viral on social media, Aiyar is heard saying that India should respect Pakistan as it is a sovereign nation and engage with it since it also possesses an atom bomb. Aiyar said the video is old and being resurfaced now as the BJP's election campaign is faltering.

He indicated in the video that if a "mad person" comes to power there and uses the atom bomb, it will not be good and will have its effect here too. As the remarks triggered a row, the Congress said it totally disagrees with the remarks made by Aiyar some months ago. Aiyar does not speak for the party in any capacity whatsoever, Congress media department chairperson Pawan Khera said.

Home Minister Amit Shah slammed the Congress for "raising question mark" on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and asserted that every inch of it belonged to India and no force can snatch it.

"Aiyar is telling us to respect Pakistan as it possesses an atomic bomb. A few days ago, INDIA Bloc leader Farooq Abdullah said do not talk about PoK as Pakistan has an atomic bomb. I want to tell the Congress and INDIA Bloc that PoK belongs to India and no force can snatch it," Shah said at an election rally in Jharkhand's Khunti.

Hitting back at BJP Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said why is Pakistan being discussed when elections are taking place in India and the unemployment rate here is at a 45-year high.

"I ask when was the statement made? … If it is an old statement, then why are we discussing it today? Secondly, I want to ask, where are elections taking place, in India or in Pakistan? They are taking place in India. So why are we discussing Pakistan?" she said during her campaign trail in Amethi for the party's candidate Kishori Lal Sharma. BJP cited recent comments of more Congress leaders to make its point.

The leader of Opposition in Maharashtra, Vijay Wadettiwar, had said IPS officer Hemant Karkare was killed by a cop affiliated to the RSS and not Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had dismissed a recent terror incident in Poonch in which an Air Force official died as a poll stunt, noted Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar.

"Indian National Congress dissociates itself completely from and disagrees totally with some remarks made by Aiyar a few months back which have been revived today by the BJP in its attempt to deflect attention from Prime Minister Modi's daily goof ups. Aiyar does not speak for the party in any capacity whatsoever," said Khera.

Uploading a video of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Khera said, "If old videos are to be used, here is a not so old video where the External Affairs Minister is publicly advising India to be afraid of China."