The Congress on Thursday said the Narendra Modi government wanted the Opposition and the media to close their eyes on what was happening on the China border, and asked what “compulsion” was forcing such an attitude on the Prime Minister.
“What is your (Narendra Modi’s) relationship with China? What do they have against you? What pressure is working on you? There must be some reason,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said at a news conference in Rajasthan.
The Congress has repeatedly blamed Modi personally rather than the government for the absence of a strong reply to China. Several Congress spokespersons have cited how Modi had spoken of a special relationship with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and met him 18 times, first as chief minister and then as Prime Minister.
The Modi government has stonewalled repeated Opposition demands to allow a debate in Parliament on the May 2020 Chinese incursions in eastern Ladakh, and there cent clash on the Arunachal Pradesh border. “The government wants the Opposition and the mediato close their eyes on what is happening on the borders with China. The Prime Minister keeps his mouth closed. If at all he opens his mouth on this subject, he gives a clean chit to China,” Khera said. “His statement — ‘na koi ghusa hai’— has damaged India’s negotiation position. We are paying a heavy price for it.”
Modi had on June 19, 2020— four days after a clash in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh had killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least 4 Chinese troops — said that no one had entered India or occupied Indian territory. China had seized upon the statement to deny any intrusion and claim ownership of the entire territory it held.
“Why did Modi meet the Chinese President 18 times? Why did he plan to introduce Mandarin (the principal Chinese language) in Gujarat’s schools and colleges?” Khera asked.
“Why is a Chinese company preferred for allotment of land in Dholera (Gujarat),where MoUs worth Rs 43,000crore have been signed with them? Why did you engage Chinese companies banned the world over?... What pressure is working on you?”
Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh, who was present at the news conference, said: “Former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had said that trade and terror cannot go together. Does that principle apply only to Pakistan? We see business as usual with China after the Ladakh intrusion — more imports, less exports. Why have the Chinese companies not been blacklisted yet?”
‘Red eyes’ jab
Recalling the Prime Minister’s latest meeting with Jinping at Bali, Khera said: “Don’t insult our brave army. Bowing to the Chinese President wearing a red kurta is different from showing red eyes.”
This was a reference to Modi’s comment, before becoming Prime Minister, that India needed to show “red eyes” to China instead of being fearful (which he accused the then UPA government of being).
On Thursday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also got into the act, tweeting: “It appears there are Chinese specs on the red eyes of the Modi government. Do we not have permission to speak against China in the Indian Parliament?”
In the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked when the Modi government would show its “red eyes” to China, expressing dismay at the record rise in trade with the country despite the border tensions.
Adhir hurriedly raised the issue during Zero Hour, aware that he would not be allowed to speak at any length on China. He began by mentioning the cyber attack on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences server, purportedly from China, before shifting quickly to castigating the government over its China policy.
“The attack on the AIIMS (server) came from China,” Adhir said, referring to a newspaper report. “There are also reports that amid clashes on the border with China, when China has adopted aggression against us, the government of today, instead of showing its red eyes, has increased imports from China.”
