'Wouldn't endorse', says US spokesperson on Rahul Gandhi's 'China, Pakistan remark' in LS

US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price has made it clear that the US 'wouldn't endorse' Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'China, Pakistan remark' in parliament on India's foreign policy.

New Delhi: A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his Lok Sabha remarks criticised the Modi led BJP government over its foreign policy decision and accused the latter of bringing China and Pakistan together, the United States on Thursday said it will not endorse those remarks.

In response to a question on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi suggesting that China & Pakistan are closer than ever due to PM Modi's ineffective policies', US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said, "I will leave it to Pakistanis & PRC to speak to their relationship. I certainly won't endorse those remarks.''

On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar slammed the Congress leader after he came down heavily upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing China and Pakistan together, in his Lok Sabha speech today.

In a sharp reply to the Congress leader’s allegation in the Loksabha, EAM Jaishankar said, “In 1963, Pakistan illegally handed over the Shaksgam valley to China. China built the Karakoram highway through PoK in the 1970s. From the 1970s, the two countries also had close nuclear collaboration. In 2013, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor started. So ask yourself: were China and Pakistan distant then?.

In his speech, the Congress leader said that the Modi government has brought Pakistan and China together, terming it a single biggest crime against India.

"The Chinese have a very clear vision of what they want to do. The single biggest strategic goal of India's foreign policy has been to keep Pakistan and China separate. This is fundamental for India and what have you done, you have brought them together," he said.

Today, do not be under any illusion. "Do not underestimate the force that is standing in front of you. Do not underestimate the power that stands in front of us, do not underestimate it. You have brought Pakistan and China together and this is the single biggest crime that you could commit against the people of India," Gandhi said in his speech in the Loksabha.

Rahul Gandhi in his remarks in the Lok Sabha criticized the BJP government on India’s foreign policy and said that the country was completely isolated and surrounded.

“Ask yourselves why you are not able to get a guest on Republic Day. Today India is completely isolated and surrounded. We are surrounded by Sri Lanka, Nepal, Burma, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China. Everywhere we are surrounded. Our opponents understand our position,” he said.

Taking a dig at Gandhi over his accusation, Foreign Minister Jaishankar took to Twitter and wrote, “In Loksabha Rahul Gandhi said we could not get a foreign guest for Republic Day. Those who live in India know we were in the midst of a corona wave”.

The minister said, “The 5 Central Asian Presidents, who were to come, did hold a virtual summit on Jan 27. Did Rahul Gandhi miss that as well?”.