The Congress on Saturday said the nation wanted to know why Prime Minister Narendra Modi had claimed in June 2020 that China had not entered Indian territory and why he had allowed the Chinese to stop Indian troops from patrolling thousands of square kilometres in eastern Ladakh.
Posing seven questions days after Indian and Chinese troops clashed in Arunachal Pradesh, Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said it was “the political duty and moral responsibility” of the Prime Minister to respond: “1. On June 20, 2020, why did you say that there has been no incursion by China into Indian territory in eastern Ladakh?
“2. Why have you allowed the Chinese to stop our troops from accessing thousands of square kilometres in eastern Ladakh where we were regularly patrolling prior to May 2020?
“3. Why did you abandon the plan approved by the cabinet on July 17, 2013, to establish a Mountain Strike Corps?
“4. Why have you allowed Chinese companies to contribute to the PM CARES Fund?
“5. Why have you allowed imports from China to zoom to record levels in the last two years?
“5. Why have you allowed imports from China to zoom to record levels in the last two years?
“7. You have met the top Chinese leadership an unprecedented 18 times and recently shook hands with Xi Jinping in Bali. China launched an incursion into Tawang shortly thereafter and continues to unilaterally alter the border situation. Why are you not taking the nation into confidence?”
Twenty Indian soldiers had died in a clash with the Chinese in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15, 2020. The Prime Minister told an all-party meeting four days later: “Neither has anyone intruded into our frontier there, nor is any intruder there, nor is any of our posts occupied by someone else.”
The Congress has in the past asked the Prime Minister to explain his statement but received no response.
On Saturday, spokesperson Ramesh asked Modi to give his “Mann ki Baat” on the subject while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked: “When will the nation have... ‘CHINA PE CHARCHA’?”
The questions came as the BJP launched a massive campaign against Rahul Gandhi, who had warned on Friday that China was preparing for war and accused the government of sleeping over the threat. He had also questioned the media’s silence on China although it had killed 20 soldiers in Ladakh, grabbed 2,000sqkm of Indian land and had beaten up Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh.
In a clash after Chinese soldiers tried to cross over into the Indian side in Tawang, Arunachal, earlier this month, several Indian soldiers fractured their hands and legs. Several Chinese soldiers were also injured.
BJP leaders, from party president J.P. Nadda to spokespersons, hailed Indian soldiers for their valour and accused Rahul of speaking the language of China and Pakistan.
The Congress retorted that Modi’s handling of the Chinese incursions had not only demoralised the soldiers but placed India at a great tactical disadvantage.
Party’s social media head Supriya Shrinate said: “Yesterday Rahul brought to light what the government was so desperately trying to hide. While explaining the deteriorating relations with China, Rahul warned the government about China planning something big, looks like they are preparing for war.”
Shrinate said: “In a typical manner, the BJP leaders, trolls and sycophants started attacking Rahul. This will not solve the problem. The China crisis is serious. The crisis will get deeper if the government tries to conceal the truth. Regular reports of conflicts are coming from the borders. A BJP MP has said China has set up villages in Arunachal. In Ladakh, our soldiers are not patrolling the areas we traditionally did. China is still sitting at the place where 20 of our soldiers lost their lives. Instead of teaching China a lesson, Modi allowed trade to get bigger with China.”
Arguing that the Prime Minister’s silence on China is not only shameful but also raises serious questions, she asked: “What is the Prime Minister’s compulsion?”
