Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman believes that Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement that "there may be a better chance of India-Pak peace talks and settling of the Kashmir issue if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is voted back to power", is a ploy by Congress to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

India Today quoted Sitharaman as saying: "I wouldn't know why such statements are being made. Every time such statements are made and this is individually my perception and not my party's or the government's take."

"There have been many eminent leaders of the Congress who went there (Pakistan) to seek help to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They went there saying, Modi hatane ke liye hamen madad karo (help us to oust Modi). I wonder whether this is also a part of the scheme of things which have been put by Congress. I don't know what to make of this honestly," the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told ANI in an exclusive interview.