Armed with BJP MP’s remarks, Congress asks PM to come clean on Chinese intrusions in Arunachal

The opposition party played a video of BJP leader Tapir Gao’s speech in Lok Sabha in November 2019, when he said Chinese forces had intruded into Indian territory in his home state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Congress has used the claims of a ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader about Chinese intrusions in Arunachal Pradesh to attack the government on the border standoff with China, asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come clean on the remarks of his party colleague.

Gao had claimed in a recent TV interview that China has occupied areas on both banks of Subansiri river in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district and on the Indian side of the McMahon Line, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said.(HT photo)

The opposition party played a video of BJP leader Tapir Gao’s speech in Lok Sabha in November 2019, when he said Chinese forces had intruded into Indian territory in his home state of Arunachal Pradesh.

“But the government remained silent on the issue,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told a virtual news briefing.

He said Gao had claimed in a recent TV interview that China has occupied areas on both banks of Subansiri river in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district and on the Indian side of the McMahon Line.

“Will the prime minister and his government come clean on the claims made by the BJP MP?” Tewari asked.

BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said: “Instead of resorting to a daily questionnaire for seeking media attention and for political relevance, perhaps the Congress party may wish to see how other political parties prefer reposing faith in the capabilities of the armed forces, which have been valiantly trying to protect the borders.”

Following a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party has stepped up its attack on Modi and his party despite senior leader RPN Singh calling for a refrain on direct attacks on the premier. Singh was countered by other Congress leaders, who insisted that the attack should be calibrated and not by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi alone.

Asked about the differences on the issue in the CWC, Tewari retorted: “Unfortunately, when speculative stories start being taken as gospel, we run the gauntlet of actually arriving at wrong conclusions. The CWC is not divided on the mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, as to how that mishandling has crippled the Indian economy and on the question of China’s intrusion, aggression abd occupation of Indian territory. CWC is a democratic deliberative body where everybody has a right to articulate their views but there has been no dissent.”

He said the same pattern was seen during the UPA government but is missing during the NDA rule.

Tewari said ever since reports about Chinese incursions into Indian territory emerged, the government has been “walking the extra mile to downplay these reports and was trying to obfuscate the facts” on the ground.

Flanked by party colleague and Lok Sabha member Gaurav Gogoi, he sought to know from the government if what Gao, a former Arunachal Pradesh BJP chief, was saying was right or not.

“What is the truth behind what Tapir Gao is saying? There should be an immediate clarification from the government,” Tewari said.

The Congress also said the government should give a “strong reply” to China as regular dialogues would not work, and use other means to take it on.

Gogoi said India cannot afford to have another Doklam-like situation in Ladakh and needs to look at other forms of leverage such as trade to have successful negotiations with China.

Indian and Chinese forces were engaged in a 73-day stand-off in Doklam near Sikkim in 2017 after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese army.

“The government should not look at what’s happening in Arunachal Pradesh or Ladakh as isolated incidents. These are grand designs and need to be responded strongly,” Gogoi said.

“China needs a strong response from India, as regular dialogues won’t work. Despite all meetings, the Chinese launched a strong, premeditated attack. China has learnt one thing from the Doklam episode, that the Modi government is willing to settle for a military disengagement,” he added.

Gogoi said the pattern of the Chinese army shows that they are gradually encroaching on Indian territory across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the responsibility of protecting Indian territory lies solely with the government of India.

Tewari said Gao has also claimed that the army has set up another base called new Majha, deeper in Indian territory after Chinese aggressions.

“We do know something with regard to Galwan Valley, Pangong lake, and Hot Springs area in the western sector, and with regard to Chinese intrusion in Naku La in the central sector. But facts continue to remain opaque on the eastern sector which is perhaps most disputed,” he said.