A day after his 'everyone knows the reality' of border situation jibe, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked defence minister Rajnath Singh whether China has occupied the Indian territory in Ladakh.

'Once RM is done commenting on the hand symbol, can he answer: Have the Chinese occupied Indian territory in Ladakh,' he asked on Twitter.

Singh had on Monday hit out at Gandhi with a couplet of noted Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib, saying when there is pain in the hand, one takes medicine, but what does one do when the hand itself is a pain.

'Hand' is the Congress party's election symbol.

Gandhi and Singh have been engaged in war of words on Twitter since Monday evening on the issue and have been taking swipes at each other by using couplets of Ghalib.

The Congress leader on Monday had taken a swipe at Union home minister Amit Shah for his remarks that India is strong in protecting its borders, and said the truth seems dormant as 'everyone knows' the reality of the situation at the country's borders.

'Everyone knows the reality of the 'borders', but the thought is good to keep one's heart happy,' he said in a tweet in Hindi, tweaking a couplet of Ghalib.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also asked the defence minister to answer the question, saying denigrating party symbols of opposition is not defending India.

'Denigrating Party Symbols of Opposition isn't same as 'Defending India'. Will Rajnath Singh ji answer the simple question posed by Sh Rahul Gandhi,' Surjewala asked on Twitter.