The Congress used Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent statement that he cannot guarantee to what extent the border standoff with China in Ladakh would be resolved, to launch another attack on the government.
“What does this statement of the country’s Defense Minister mean that there is no guarantee of a solution through talks with China? Has the Modi government accepted the Chinese occupation that they cannot solve it?” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala asked at a briefing.
Rajnath Singh had made the comment in Lukung near Pangong Tso lake on Friday while addressing troops.
Surjewala also said the Chinese are still inside Indian territory and that China isn’t ready to return to the pre-May 2020 position.
“China isn’t permitting Indian Armed Forces to patrol from patrolling point 10 to patrolling point 13. Third, China has occupied Indian territory up to 8 km between finger 4 to finger 8 and has 3,000 soldiers in our territory.
“China isn’t ready to restore the status quo ante and to return to the pre-May 2020 position. China has converted Ngari Gunsa civil airstrip on our border into military airstrip causing threat to our territorial integrity and placed over 20,000 Chinese soldiers on our border,” Surjewala said.
{{/usCountry}}“China isn’t ready to restore the status quo ante and to return to the pre-May 2020 position. China has converted Ngari Gunsa civil airstrip on our border into military airstrip causing threat to our territorial integrity and placed over 20,000 Chinese soldiers on our border,” Surjewala said.
{{/usCountry}}India and China have been in talks to reach consensus on easing tensions between the two armies in the Finger Area near Pangong Tso and Depsang plains, as well as pulling back weapons and equipment from “friction points” in other sectors.
On Saturday, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had attacked the government over its handling of the standoff in Ladakh saying India will pay a huge price because of the government’s “cowardly actions”.