Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said those claiming Chinese forces haven’t occupied Indian territory in Ladakh are “not nationalistic and patriotic”, and he will continue to speak the truth about Beijing’s transgressions even if his “whole political career goes to hell”.
Stepping up the attack on the government over the Chinese intrusions, Gandhi said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to occupy parts of Indian territory in Ladakh.
“Now, it is pretty clear that the Chinese have entered our territory. This disturbs me. It makes frankly my blood boil. How can some other nation just come into our territory?” he said in a video message issued on Monday.
Gandhi, who has been criticised by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) for his remarks on the border standoff, said “hiding the truth” and allowing China to occupy Indian territory is “anti-national”, and bringing it to people’s attention is “patriotic”.
“I think the people who are lying about Chinese entering our country are the people that are not nationalistic. I think the people who are lying and who are saying the Chinese are not in India, they are the people who are not patriotic,” he said.
Gandhi asserted he wouldn’t lie to the people of India on Chinese intrusions even if it costs him politically.
{{/usCountry}}Gandhi asserted he wouldn’t lie to the people of India on Chinese intrusions even if it costs him politically.
{{/usCountry}}“So frankly, I don’t care if it costs me politically. I don’t care if I have no political career at all after that. But, I am going to say the truth as far as Indian territory is concerned,” he said.
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“If you want me to lie that the Chinese have not entered this country I am not going to lie. I simply will not do it. I don’t care if my whole career goes to hell. I’m not going to lie,” he added.
Titled “Tough Questions on China”, the short video is the fourth in a series on the India-China face-off. Through the videos, Gandhi wants to share his thoughts on national issues.
In the first video issued on July 17, he said India’s “troubled economy, foreign policy and neighbourhood” prompted China to take an aggressive stand against the country.
The second video, titled “China’s Strategic Game Plan” and released on July 20, featured Gandhi talking about how the Chinese have triggered the border issue to pressure Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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In one of the sharpest attacks on Modi over the border standoff, he said the Chinese are attacking his image as “they understand that for him to survive as a politician, he has to protect the idea of ‘Chhapan Inch’ (56-inch)” and claimed that “if he allowed the Chinese to understand that they can manipulate him because of his image, the prime minister will no longer be worth anything for India”.
In the third video titled “How should India respond to China?” released on July 23, Gandhi listed different measures to deal with the Chinese.
“Psychologically you have to deal with the Chinese from a position of strength. If you deal with them from a position of strength, you can work with them, you can get what you need and it can be actually done. But if they sense weakness then you had it,” he said.
“The first thing is you not going to take on China without a vision. And by that I don’t mean a national vision. I mean an international vision,” added Gandhi.
In the latest video, Gandhi said as an Indian, his number one priority is the nation and its people.
“How do you react to people who say your questions to the PM on China weaken India? Now if you as a politician want me to keep quiet and lie to my people, when I am absolutely convinced [when] I see the satellite photos. I speak to the ex-army people,” he added.
Gandhi has repeatedly targeted Modi and his government over the Chinese transgressions and said the prime minister was not being transparent on the issue. The Congress has been demanding that status quo ante be restored at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Chinese troops be pushed back to their side.