China has taken away thousands of kilometres of India’s territory in Ladakh, Rahul Gandhi asserted on Friday as a haze shrouded the conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Africa earlier this week.
“Ladakh is a strategic place. After coming to this place, particularly when I was at Pangong lake, one thing was clear: that China has taken India’s land. Thousands of kilometres of land have been taken away by China,” Rahul said in Ladakh.
“The sad thing is that India’s Prime Minister told an Opposition meeting that not an inch of India’s land has been taken by anyone. This is a blatant lie. Everybody in Ladakh knows that Ladakh’s land has been taken by China. Prime Ministerji is not telling the truth,” Rahul added, referring to the June 2020 all-party meeting after the Galwan massacre.
“No one has intruded, nor is anyone intruding, nor has any post been captured by someone,” Modi had said three years ago.
The Congress MP said the BJP was denying democratic institutions to Ladakh because that would prevent an alleged plan to loot the region’s resources.
“Everybody knows there are a lot of natural resources here. In the 21st century, solar energy is being talked about. There is no dearth of solar energy in Ladakh. BJP men know that if you are given representation, then they cannot snatch your land,” Rahul said.
“The issue is of land. BJP men want to snatch your land and start big projects of Mr Adani and deny you the benefits of those projects. We will never let it happen.”
The Congress leader said his party supported the demands of the apex bodies in Leh and Kargil for their rights. Anger has been brewing in Ladakh at the Centre’s reluctance to grant statehood and special status under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
In New Delhi, BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad described Rahul’s statement as “absolutely wrong”. Prasad said China had to withdraw in Galwan because of the bravery and sacrifices of the Indian soldiers.
Rahul praised the patriotism of the people of Kargil.
“Your role, particularly of Kargil, has been that whenever India needed you and there was a war on the border, the people of Kargil have stood with India. This is your history. You have shown it not once but many times. For that, I am thanking you from the core of my heart,” he said.
“I want to assure you that people of different religions, different castes can live in this country. People speak different languages. For us, all people are one and all should live with love and respect in this country,” Rahul added.
Kargil is a Muslim-majority district, while Leh is premoninantly Buddhist.
