Cong: PM does not utter “China”, he must answer questions on the border issue in Parliament, not Rajnath Singh

During a debate in Parliament on the situation along the border with China on Sunday, the Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “running away” from the issue and urged him to respond and not the defence minister.

Moreover, the opposition party posed questions to the government regarding the Sino-Indian border issue, claiming that the nation demanded and deserved answers.

A statement issued by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh asked what prompted the Chinese to attempt to take over the Indian post in the Yangtse area of Tawang after two years of protracted “disengagement”.

As a result of Rajiv Gandhi’s deployment of forces in Yangtse during the Sumdorong Chu confrontation in 1986, Ramesh questioned how the Chinese were able to open up a new front in the region.

In addition, the opposition party alleged that the prime minister did not mention the word “China” and questioned whether the government was “silent” because of its “close relationship” with that country.

The attack on the government occurred a few days after Indian Army personnel clashed with Chinese soldiers in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh.

The BJP emphasizes the 1962 war but ignores the 1967 war, in which China lost and India won, which is also part of history, Ramesh said at a press conference following the morning leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

As Ramesh pointed out, the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi visited China in 1988 at a time when we were strong at the borders, and after that visit, bilateral ties became stronger. It was, however, in April 2020 that all of this came to an end and a new chapter began, according to him.

The prime minister has given China a clean bill of health by stating, “No one has come or entered our territory”. Ramesh claimed that his bargaining position had been reduced as a result of this clean chit.

It is suggested that a debate in Parliament be held on this issue and that the prime minister should respond and discuss the matter with the opposition.

The debate should be held in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and the answers should be provided by the prime minister and not by the defence minister or the external affairs minister. There have been several former prime ministers who have answered questions in Parliament. In Ramesh’s opinion, he is the first prime minister who avoids debate and does not mention China.

The Congress general secretary in-charge communications also raised the slogan “Pradhan Mantri ji Cheen Par Chuppi Todo, Bharat Jodo (Mr Prime Minister, break the silence about China, unite India). As part of the press conference, Congress media department head Pawan Khera stated that the government should explain why the mountain strike corps was put into “cold storage” after the UPA established the first division in West Bengal.

The Prime Minister of India refuses to answer questions regarding China and does not wish to participate in a discussion about China. During his time as Gujarat’s chief minister, the prime minister developed close ties with the Chinese president, who held a high position in that nation. “They have close ties,” he asserted.

In Khera’s opinion, the absence of the second division of the mountain strike corps in Pathankot was due to the election of a “China-loving” prime minister.

Khera responded to the BJP’s attack on Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on the China issue at a press conference in Jaipur by stating that Gandhi had “only highlighted that the government had tied the hands of the armed forces, who are highly capable of serving their country”.

According to him, the story of the country is “Veer Sena, Kayar Raja”.

According to Khera, BJP leaders have travelled to China for training with the Communist Party of China in the past. Ajit Doval, national security advisor at the time, asked what relations organizations such as the Vivekananda International Foundation have with China.

In addition, he alleged that the think tank whose one unit is led by the son of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar received three payments from the Chinese Embassy.

The BJP has accused the Congress of having close ties with China. The Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced last week that the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF)’s Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration had been cancelled as it allegedly received Rs 1.35 crore from the Chinese Embassy.

According to Khera, at the press conference, the government has been silent on the matter due to these issues, and all this should be revealed as a “secret.”

A number of achievements have also been made by past Congress governments in strengthening India’s security with respect to China. Under Rajiv Gandhi’s premiership in 1986-87, the Border Area Development Programme was part of the seventh five-year plan, he said, adding that the 2,000 km trans-Arunachal highway was initiated during the UPA government.

Ramesh claimed in his statement that there have been reports of Chinese intrusions in the east becoming larger and more frequent.

A previous government had the confidence to send journalists and MPs to the front in 1965, 1971 and Kargil 1999. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence also discussed Doklam. How is the prime minister keeping the people of India in the dark? What is the reason he is running away from a discussion?” he posed.

According to him, the Chinese remain ensconced 18 kilometers underground in Depsang after 16 rounds of military-level negotiations.

“Hundreds of square kilometers of this critical strategic area cannot be accessed by Indian patrols. How does PM Modi propose to deal with this? Ramesh inquired as to why there are critical gaps in our capabilities despite the growing threat posed by China.

“The Indian Air Force chief has stated on record that he is 12 squadrons short of the desired fighter strength of 42 squadrons. Project 75I, for six more Scorpene submarines, has been repeatedly delayed since the UPA ordered six submarines. According to him, Army recruitment under the Agnipath Scheme has declined sharply.

According to Ramesh in his statement, “Some time ago, you (Modi) expressed brotherhood and closeness with President Xi Jinping and described your relationship as “plus one.”. According to you, Xi ‘ne adhyayan karake rakha tha akhir Modi cheez kya hai’ (Xi had made his own assessment of Modi). Do you believe that China’s renewed aggression is a result of such a close examination? Would you consider it possible, as you stated in 2013, that the problem is in Delhi rather than at the border? ” The Congress attack also comes after Rahul Gandhi said “the government was sleeping while China was preparing for war”.

In response to Gandhi’s remarks, the BJP reacted strongly, saying it was lowering the morale of the military.

Rajnath Singh, the Defence Minister, stated in Parliament on December 9 that Chinese forces attempted to unilaterally alter the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector, but the Indian Army compelled them to retreat by responding with “firmness and resolve.”

The confrontation took place amid the 30-month-old border standoff between the two sides in eastern Ladakh.