New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Wednesday sharply criticised Congress leader Ajoy Kumar for referring to Sikkim as a foreign nation. Poonawalla alleged that the Congress advocates for 'tukde-tukde' (division) of India.

Poonawalla described Kumar's remarks as an insult to Sikkim and the entire Northeast region. He accused Congress of longstanding hostility toward the Northeast.

'Today, the statement made by Ajoy Kumar that Sikkim is not an integral part of India and is, in fact, a neighbouring nation, shows how he has insulted not just Sikkim but the entire northeast. Congress has always been against the Northeast. We have seen they have bombed one of the states in the Northeast. They have said bye-bye to Assam in the 1960s,' Poonawalla told ANI.

Taking a jibe at Congress, the BJP spokesperson said that they follow the 'footsteps of Jinnah.'

'Congress is following the footsteps of Jinnah. It is a 'Jinnahwadi' party. Just like Jinnah wanted that there should be an Islamic state and division of India, the Congress party advocates for a Sharia Islamic state in some parts, and it wants the 'tukde tukde' of Bharat,' Shehzad Poonawalla said.

The row began when addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Ajoy Kumar named Sikkim as one of the 'neighbouring nations' alongside Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, with whom India's relations have been spoiled.

Meanwhile, Kumar shared an X post and apologised for his statement, calling it a slip of the tongue.

Ajoy Kumar wrote, 'Yesterday in my press conference on 'SAIL 400 crore scam', when I was speaking on the deteriorating relations with our neighbouring countries, I accidentally took name of a state. For which I sincerely apologise as it was just a slip of tongue.'

Further, he targeted the BJP and asked them to hold a press conference on the 'atrocities' in 'Amrit Kaal' rather than his 'human error'.

'I heard from a journalist friend that @BJP4India is planning to organise a press conference on this small human error. I want to ask BJP; 1. Why don't they do a press conference on the atrocities happening in this 'AmritKaal'? I did speak about it too yesterday at my Press Conference,' the X post read.

He questioned the BJP over the alleged SAIL scam of Rs 400 crore.

'2. Why don't they do a press conference on SAIL's Rs 400 crore scam? I did speak about it too yesterday at my Press Conference. 3. Why don't they do a press conference on what is the relation between Ekta Aggarwal, the promoter of VIPPL company, which was the main cause of SAIL's loss of Rs 400 crore, with BJP? I did speak about it too yesterday at my Press Conference,' Kumar added.

'4. Why don't they do a press conference on the BJP MLA who beat up a passenger in the Vande Bharat train and the BJP MLA who slapped the SDM? I did speak about it too yesterday at my Press Conference. BJP will never do a press conference on the major issues the country is going through, but instead looks out for small mistakes of the opposition leaders,' the X post read. (ANI)