New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday stepped up its attack on the PM over the December 9 Chinese incursion in Arunachal Pradesh and asked the premier why was he not taking the nation into confidence over the issue.
“Why are you not taking the nation into confidence? It is the political duty and moral responsibility of the Prime Minister to give his Mann ki Baat on the seven questions. The Nation wants to know,” Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh said a day after Rahul Gandhi alleged that China was preparing for war but the government was ignoring the threat.
He made an indirect reference to the PM’s regular radio program “Mann ki Baat” which is aired on Sundays. The Congress veteran reminded the PM of the clean chit that he had given to China in 2020 when the People’s Liberation Army had deliberately violated the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border, in eastern Ladakh. “On June 20, 2020 why did you say that there has been no incursion by China into Indian territory in Eastern Ladakh,” asked Ramesh.
The Congress leader noted that China had been emboldened by the clean chit and had actually refused to withdraw from the Indian territory under its control. “Why have you allowed the Chinese to stop our troops from accessing thousands of square kilometers in Eastern Ladakh where we were regularly patrolling prior to May 2020,” asked Ramesh.
The Congress Rajya Sabha member further targeted the PM asking him why he dropped a plan to set up a mountain strike corps, aimed to counter China in the Himalayas, in the Indian army that was approved during the previous UPA government in 2013. “Why did you abandon the plan approved by the Cabinet on July 17, 2013 to establish a Mountain Strike Corps,” asked Ramesh.
He further asked the premier why did he allow the Chinese companies to donate money in the PM CARES fund and permit China to take advantage of bilateral trade. “Why have you allowed Chinese companies to contribute to the PM CARES Fund? 5. Why have you allowed imports from China to zoom to record levels in the last two years,” asked Ramesh.
The Congress attack came amid a stand-off between the opposition and the government over allowing a debate on the Chinese threat at the borders in the ongoing winter session of Parliament. “Why are you insisting that there should be no debate in Parliament on the border situation and the challenges we face from China,” asked Ramesh.
He further pointed out that the PM has met Chinese President Xi Jinping 18 times over the past years and that the Dec 9 incursion in Arunachal Pradesh came soon after the premier shook hands with Xi at the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia recently.
“You have met the top Chinese leadership (President Xi Jinping) an unprecedented 18 times and recently shook hands with him in Bali. China launched an incursion into Tawang shortly thereafter and continues to unilaterally alter the border situation,” asked Ramesh.
