PM Modi has given away Indian territory to China, alleges Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi’s salvoes come a day after defence minister Rajnath Singh informed the Lok Sabha that the PLA will retreat to its base east of Finger 8, the Indian Army will move back to its permanent position near Finger 3

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed that “the PM has given away sacred Indian territory to China”, arguing that the Indian army held Finger 4 area in Ladakh along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) but now it will move back to its permanent position near Finger 3.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (PTI)

Gandhi’s salvoes come a day after defence minister Rajnath Singh informed the Lok Sabha that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will retreat to its base east of Finger 8 on the north bank of Pangong Tso, the Indian Army will move back to its permanent position near Finger 3.

“Indian government’s position was status quo ante in April 2020. Now, defence minister comes and makes a statement. We find Indian troops will now be stationed in Finger 3. Finger 4 used to be our territory. Why has PM Modi given our land to the Chinese?” Gandhi said on Friday.

“Why they have been asked to move back? There is no word on our most strategic area of Depsang plains. The government is mum on Gogra post and Hot Springs. PM Modi has stooped before China and given away the land between Finger 3 and Finger 4 to the Chinese,” Gandhi alleged.

“There is no strategic advantage. Chinese were in our land. Our soldiers risked everything they had to go to Kailash ranges. Now PM has given back land and status quo ante is irrelevant. This is absolute 100% cowardice. The Prime Minister is a coward who can’t stand up to the Chinese,” Gandhi alleged.

On Thursday, Singh announced that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will retreat to its base east of Finger 8 on the north bank of Pangong Tso, the Indian Army will move back to its permanent position near Finger 3 and neither side will patrol the contested areas until an agreement is reached through future talks, explaining the nuances of a disengagement plan hammered out by the two armies to reduce military tensions in eastern Ladakh.

Until now, rival soldiers have been deployed eyeball-to-eyeball on the Finger 4 ridgeline at heights of almost 18,000 feet.

The Chinese defence ministry announced the disengagement on Wednesday; New Delhi did not react immediately because Parliament was in session, and a day later, Singh briefed the House on the breakthrough in a months-long impasse.

Gandhi also said that he doesn’t trust the Prime Minister but has full faith in the Indian armed forces and the people of India. “The PM’s responsibility was to protect the territory of this country. But the PM ceded Indian territory to Chinese. How he recovers it is his problem, not mine.”