Rahul Gandhi attends first Parliamentary panel meet on Defence

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended the meeting of the parliamentary panel on defence along with Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and BJP leader Jual Oram on Friday. It was his first meeting with the committee after being nominated to the panel last year following the Lok Sabha elections.

New Delhi: A day after India-China had a meeting in Moscow to discuss over the escalating border tensions at Line of Actual Control, Congress former President and MP, Rahul Gandhi attended the Parliamentary Panel Meeting on Defence for the first time, on Friday.

Gandhi, who had been quite vocal on social media about the border tensions with China, was being criticized by the ruling BJP for not attending any of the committee meetings till now.

• The only “talk” to have with China is about restoration of ‘Status Quo Ante’ as of March 2020.
  
  PM & GOI refuse to take responsibility for pushing China out of our land.
  
  All other “talk” is worthless.

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 11, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  The only “talk” to have with China is about restoration of ‘Status Quo Ante’ as of March 2020.
  
  PM & GOI refuse to take responsibility for pushing China out of our land.
  
  All other “talk” is worthless.

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 11, 2020

  ">

  The only “talk” to have with China is about restoration of ‘Status Quo Ante’ as of March 2020.
  
  PM & GOI refuse to take responsibility for pushing China out of our land.
  
  All other “talk” is worthless.

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 11, 2020

The official agenda of this Parliamentary Panel meeting was 'provision and monitoring of the quality of ration and livery times to the Defense forces, especially in border areas'.

In the meeting, the Congress leader questioned the difference in the food being served to the officers and jawans, who have their duties in the border areas. The issue came into limelight after a jawan Tej Bahadur shared his video on the quality of food being served to them. Later, disciplinary action was being taken against him.

According to the sources, Gandhi also faced criticism by the panel members for his concern as they clarified that the jawans have a difference in food habits as compared to the officers is because they generally belong from a rural background.

A number of leaders also raised the issue of Ladakh situation during the meeting. Nationalist Congress Party Chief, Sharad Pawar had briefed the reporters before this meeting, saying that he will ask for a presentation on the situation at LAC. However, the panel had replied that his request has been noted which will be taken into consideration.

Soon after the meeting, Rahul Gandhi made a sharp attack on the Central Government over India-China border standoff, by tweeting, "The only 'talk' to have with China is about the restoration of 'Status Quo Ante' as of March 2020. PM and GOI refuse to take responsibility for pushing China out of our land. All other 'talk' is worthless."