Congress questions Modi’s ‘silence’ on India-China clashes in Arunachal
Opposition parties have been trying to corner the Union government over clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh’s Yangtse sector on December 9.
The Congress on Sunday stepped up its attack on the Centre over the recent clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector, and asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was evading a discussion on the matter in Parliament.
“We demanded a discussion in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The answer shouldn’t come from the defence minister or home minister but from the Prime Minister,” senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told reporters in Rajasthan’s Daura district during the party’s ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“Every Prime Minister has participated in a deliberate discussion on China, including (Jawaharlal) Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This is the first Prime Minister that runs away from disagreements, and he doesn’t even utter the word ‘China’, he added.
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Opposition parties have been trying to corner the Union government over clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh’s Yangtse sector on December 9, triggering a logjam in Parliament with a flurry of adjournment motions and walkouts disrupting proceedings.
On December 13, defence minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament that Chinese troops attempted to transgress the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Yangtse sector on December 9, and unilaterally change the status quo along the contested border, but were pushed back by Indian soldiers. The government didn’t budge, and gave no indication of giving into the demand for a debate.
Also Read | Tawang sector vulnerable to frequent conflicts with Chinese PLA
The Congress leader also issued a statement later in the day, with a list of questions for the Prime Minister.
“Pradhan mantri ji, Cheen par chuppi todo, Bharat jodo (Prime Minister, break your silence on the China border issue and unite India,” he tweeted along with the statement.
“After two years of a protracted disengagement, what emboldened the Chinese to try and take over the Indian post in the Yangtse area of Tawang? India has dominated Yangtse since (former) Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi deployed forces there in 1986 during the Sumdorong Chu confrontation. How have the Chinese dared to open a new front?” he said in the statement.
He said that media reports suggested that Chinese intrusions had become more frequent in India’s eastern sector.
“There are reports that Chinese intrusions have become bigger and more frequent in the eastern sector. Previous governments had the confidence to take journalists and MPs to the front in 1965, 1971 and Kargil 1999. Even Doklam was discussed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence. What is the Prime Minister hiding from the people of India? Why is he running away from a discussion?” he asked.
The Congress leader also referred to Modi’s ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Some time ago, you expressed brotherhood and closeness for President Xi Jinping and described your relationship as ‘plus one’. You said that Xi has done a deep study on who Modi is. Is China’s renewed aggressiveness the result of such a close study? Could it be, as you said in 2013, ‘the problem is not at the border, the problem is in Delhi?’,” he said.
State BJP MLA Vasudev Devnani said Congress has no moral right to speak on the issue of China. “It was during the Nehru government in 1962 that 43,000 sq km of land was given to China. India is strongly acting against China and they cannot dare to act against us,” he said.