At national council meet, Kejriwal calls for boycott of Chinese goods

Taking note of the Tawang clash, a move that was thwarted by Indian soldiers, the AAP chief said, “China has been threatening us for the last few years. Our jawans are bravely fighting the Chinese.”

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday reiterated his stand on boycotting Chinese goods in the backdrop of the recent skirmish between Indian and Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector, and asked the Centre not to bow down before China.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses the 11th National Council Meeting of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), in New Delhi on Sunday. (ANI)

“I appeal to everyone to stop buying Chinese goods. I also want to appeal to the Centre to not bow down before China. Our soldiers are putting in everything to fight against China on the border, but why is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-run central government encouraging trade with the Chinese?” Kejriwal said at the AAP’s national council meeting where a discussion on Chinese aggression was a subject of discussion among inflation, unemployment and poverty. The meeting is being held in Delhi among top AAP leaders, including Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann.

Taking note of the Tawang clash, a move that was thwarted by Indian soldiers, the AAP chief said, “China has been threatening us for the last few years. Our jawans are bravely fighting the Chinese.”

He added despite all this, India is increasing its trade with China. “We learn through social media that China has occupied our territories, but the central government is rewarding China. We are increasing our imports from China,” Kejriwal said

The Delhi CM said that in 2020-21, $65 billion worth goods were imported from China and in 2021-22, India imported goods worth $95 billion from China. “The day we stop $95 billion of imports, China will learn a lesson,” he said.

This year, China re-emerged as India’s biggest trading partner, replacing the United States. Till July this year, India imported $61.29 billion worth goods from China, and exported merchandise worth $6.8 billion till August.

“Goods such as toys, slippers, and clothes are imported from China. We can also manufacture these items in our country. The Centre is helpless. We do not need cheap Chinese goods. We are ready to pay a premium price for such products if they are made in India,” he added.

Delhi BJP working president Virender Sachdeva hit out at Kejriwal over his remarks. “Arvind Kejriwal is talking about nationalism but his silence on Pakistan’s indecent and derogatory remarks against India in the United Nations meeting proves that his remarks are politically motivated. It proves that the AAP’s nationalism is completely hollow,” said Sachdeva.

The AAP national leader also claimed that 1.25 million high net-worth individuals had left the country in the past five years because they were not provided with a conducive business environment by the central government.

He alleged that those who want to work with honesty are troubled by the Centre, which uses agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) if anyone dares to take a stand against the government, “…however criminals are made to join the BJP,” he alleged.

All this has prompted people to leave India, he claimed. “If we give a red carpet to the investors, we will be able to export goods to the Chinese,” said Kejriwal.