Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak up and tell the truth to the country on whether China has occupied any Indian territory.
He said if the Prime Minister says no Indian territory has been occupied by China, while satellite images show otherwise, then China stands to benefit from his statement. Congress president Sonia Gandhi also said that the central government cannot shirk its responsibility of securing our borders with China and asked Mr. Modi to take the nation into confidence on the situation in Ladakh.
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“If you (the PM) say Indian land has not been taken by China and it has actually been taken, then China will stand to benefit,” Mr. Gandhi said.
In a video message, part of the Congress party’s ‘SpeakUpForOurJawans’ campaign in honour of martyred Indian soldiers, Mr. Gandhi said the Prime Minister had stated that not even an inch of Indian territory has been taken away by anyone and there has been no intrusion, but satellite images and experts say China has occupied Indian territory at three points in eastern Ladakh.
Noting that the entire country is standing together behind the Prime Minister, the former Congress chief said, “We have to together fight China and throw them out”.
“Prime Minister ji, speak up and do not be scared. You will have to tell the truth to the country. Don’t be scared to say that yes, China has taken our land and we are going to act against them. The whole country is with you,” he said.
Referring to the 20 Indian soldiers who died following a clash with the Chinese army personnel at Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh earlier this month, Mr. Gandhi asked the government to explain who had sent the Indian soldiers without weapons to the border.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi asked why the country’s soldiers were martyred when China has not captured any Indian territory, as claimed by the Prime Minister.
“Today when there is a crisis-like situation at the India-China border, the central government cannot shirk its responsibility (of securing them),” she said in a video message.
“The country wants to know if China has not captured our land in Ladakh, as claimed by the Prime Minister, then why were our 20 soldiers martyred,” she asked.
She said while the Prime Minister says there is no intrusion into Indian territory, experts after seeing satellite images talk of the presence of Chinese troops in our territory confirming the intrusions.
“When and how will the Modi government take back from China our land in Ladakh? Is our territorial integrity being violated by China in Ladakh? Will the Prime Minister take the nation in confidence on the situation at the border?” Ms. Gandhi asked.
She said the government should give full support and strength to the Army, saying “this will be true patriotism”.
Modi govt. failed to stop Chinese incursions: Congress leaders
The Congress further said that the intelligence and diplomacy of the Modi government has failed to stop Chinese incursions in Ladakh and asked whether Mr. Modi was lying to the nation by saying no one has occupied Indian territory.
The party said by denying Chinese incursions in eastern Ladakh the government has lowered the morale of the armed forces.
Addressing a joint press conference, Congress leaders MM Pallam Raju, Jitendra Singh and Pawan Khera said according to reports China has occupied Indian territory up to 18 km inside the LAC in Depsang plains, posing an alarming threat to India’s national security and territorial integrity.
They said satellite images suggest China has made fresh transgressions and new constructions between June 6 and June 24 and has reoccupied PP-14 in Galwan Valley, the area that witnessed violent clashes on the night of June 15 in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
Mr. Raju said reports and observations by retired generals and defence experts with the help of satellite imagery suggest the Chinese forces are now 7 km short of the Ladakh town of Burtse, on the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie road, and have come as close as 25 km from the crucial airstrip of Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), that is within artillery range.
“Is the Prime Minister lying to the nation,” Mr. Raju asked, alleging that there has been a diplomatic and intelligence failure.
“Why is the Modi government afraid of acknowledging Chinese incursion in Galwan Valley and in the Depsang plains? Why is the Modi government demoralizing our brave solders by issuing contradictory statements? Why is the Modi government’s diplomacy not helping in protecting and restoring India’s territorial integrity,” the former Union Minister asked.
“What has India gained from the prime minister’s personal outreach to various countries in general and China in particular,”Mr. Raju asked.
Former Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh said this is the same Depsang area, called ‘Bottleneck or Y-junction’, where the Chinese had made incursions in 2013 during UPA but had to withdraw.
“The Modi government is a weak government as it unfortunately refuses to even acknowledge any incursions, thereby weakening the morale of our soldiers,” he said.
Mr. Khera alleged that while the nation has confidence in the country’s armed forces to throw out the Chinese from Indian territory, there is doubt in the party about this government’s political will.
“The sad part is that the Prime Minister does not even accept the reality,” he said.
