Govt, BJP contradict each other while trying to corner Rahul on China clash

After former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday questioned why Indian security personnel were "sent unarmed to martyrdom", BJP national Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda and diplomat turn Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar contradicted each other while taking the questions of the Congress leader.

New Delhi: The Modi government and the BJP on Thursday tried to corner former Congress President Rahul Gandhi over his questioning the government on who sent Indian soldiers 'unarmed' to fight with Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops in Ladakh's Galwan valley, but while doing so they ended up contradicting each other.

The political row erupted after Rahul Gandhi said that China has committed a 'big mistake' by killing Indian soldiers and then trained his guns at the BJP government questioning who sent the soldiers "unarmed" and also asked who was responsible for their deaths.

"By killing the unarmed soldiers of India, China has committed a big mistake. I want to ask who sent them unarmed towards the danger and why, who is responsible?" Gandhi said in a video message.

• कौन ज़िम्मेदार है? pic.twitter.com/UsRSWV6mKs

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 18, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  कौन ज़िम्मेदार है? pic.twitter.com/UsRSWV6mKs

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 18, 2020

  ">

  कौन ज़िम्मेदार है? pic.twitter.com/UsRSWV6mKs

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 18, 2020

Following his remarks, Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar coached the former Congress chief.

Replying to Gandhi's tweet, Jaishankar said, "Let us get the facts straight. All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving posts. Those at Galwan on June 15 did so. Longstanding practice (as per 1996 and 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs."

• Let us get the facts straight.
  
  All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post. Those at Galwan on 15 June did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs. https://t.co/VrAq0LmADp

  — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 18, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Let us get the facts straight.
  
  All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post. Those at Galwan on 15 June did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs. https://t.co/VrAq0LmADp

  — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 18, 2020

  ">

  Let us get the facts straight.
  
  All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post. Those at Galwan on 15 June did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs. https://t.co/VrAq0LmADp

  — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 18, 2020

However, BJP national Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda soon contradicted the External Affairs Minister.

In a tweet, Panda shot back at Gandhi, saying, "Who sent out Indian troops without weapons? The answer is an agreement barring weapons within 2 km of Line of Actual Control (LAC) signed by an Indian government-backed by your (Congress) party! What to do with a 50-year-old juvenile who persists in trying to embarrass India but with no knowledge of its history?"

• "Who sent out Indian troops without weapons?" The answer is an agreement barring weapons within 2 km of #LAC signed by an Indian government backed by YOUR party!
  What to do with a 50 year old juvenile who persists in trying to embarrass India but with no knowledge of its history?

  — Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) June 18, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  "Who sent out Indian troops without weapons?" The answer is an agreement barring weapons within 2 km of #LAC signed by an Indian government backed by YOUR party!
  What to do with a 50 year old juvenile who persists in trying to embarrass India but with no knowledge of its history?

  — Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) June 18, 2020

  ">

  "Who sent out Indian troops without weapons?" The answer is an agreement barring weapons within 2 km of #LAC signed by an Indian government backed by YOUR party!
  What to do with a 50 year old juvenile who persists in trying to embarrass India but with no knowledge of its history?

  — Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) June 18, 2020

The contradiction in the statement by the government and the party national vice president leader embarrassed the BJP.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi asked the government, "How dare China to kill our unarmed soldiers? Why were our soldiers sent unarmed to martyrdom?"

• If it was so painful:
  
  1. Why insult Indian Army by not naming China in your tweet?
  2. Why take 2 days to condole?
  3. Why address rallies as soldiers were being martyred?
  4. Why hide and get the Army blamed by the crony media?
  5. Why make paid-media blame Army instead of GOI? https://t.co/mpLpMRxwS7

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 17, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  If it was so painful:
  
  1. Why insult Indian Army by not naming China in your tweet?
  2. Why take 2 days to condole?
  3. Why address rallies as soldiers were being martyred?
  4. Why hide and get the Army blamed by the crony media?
  5. Why make paid-media blame Army instead of GOI? https://t.co/mpLpMRxwS7

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 17, 2020

  ">

  If it was so painful:
  
  1. Why insult Indian Army by not naming China in your tweet?
  2. Why take 2 days to condole?
  3. Why address rallies as soldiers were being martyred?
  4. Why hide and get the Army blamed by the crony media?
  5. Why make paid-media blame Army instead of GOI? https://t.co/mpLpMRxwS7

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 17, 2020

The politics over the killing of 20 Indian soldiers, including an officer by Chinese PLA forces in Galwan valley on Monday night has sparked a political war between the opposition and the ruling BJP.

Gandhi has led from the front in questioning the government and questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he continued his attack for the second consecutive day. On Wednesday he questioned Modi's silence on the killing of Indian soldiers in Galwan Valley.

Gandhi in a tweet said, "Why is the Prime Minister silent? Why is he hiding? Enough is enough. We need to know what has happened. How dare China kill our soldiers? How dare they take our land?"

Later in the day, he also took a jibe at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for taking two days to condole the death of 20 Indian soldiers, including an officer, in Ladakh's Galwan valley.

"If it was so painful, why insult the Indian Army by not naming China in your tweet? Why take two days to condole? Why address rallies as soldiers were being martyred? Why hide and get the Army blamed by the crony media? Why make paid media blame Army instead of government of India?" Gandhi said in a tweet on Wednesday.

The fresh salvo from the Congress leader came after Rajnath Singh on Wednesday afternoon condoled the death of 20 Indian soldiers, including an officer. The Defence Minister in a tweet said, "The loss of soldiers in Galwan is deeply disturbing and painful. Our soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army."

Rajnath Singh had addressed a ‘virtual' BJP rally as part of 'Jan Samvad' on Sunday and Monday in Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

(IANS Report)