Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of destroying India’s position and betraying the Indian Army by admitting that China did not occupy Indian land, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday once again launched a scathing attack on the government over the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC) face- off. He said that China cannot be permitted to get away with this “unacceptable usurpation” of India’s land.
Speaking at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, the party’s highest decision-making body, Rahul Gandhi said, “China has brazenly occupied our territory. The Prime Minister has destroyed our position and betrayed our army by accepting their position that they occupied no Indian land. The Chinese cannot be permitted to get away with this unacceptable usurpation of our land,” he said, adding that everything needs to be done to ensure that the sacrifice of our martyrs is not in vain.
His remarks came after the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Saturday said that Modi was clear that India would respond firmly to any transgression attempts at the LAC.
The PMO said that “attempts are being made in some quarters to give a mischievous interpretation” to his remarks at the All-Party Meeting (APM) held on Friday on the Galwan stand-off and the killing of 20 Indian soldiers by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops on June 14-15 night.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the PM had specifically emphasized that Indian forces now decisively counter any violations on the LAC (unhe rokte hain, unhe tokte hain) in contrast to the past neglect of such challenges.
Hitting out at the government, the Congress MP from Kerala’s Wayanad said, “One reason why China has acted is a complete and total failure of foreign policy.” He said the established institutional structure of “diplomacy” has been demolished by the Prime Minister. “Our relations with our once friendly neighbors lie in tatters. Our time tested relationship with our traditional allies has been interrupted. India should build a good relationship with the US and other countries and must also maintain good relations with its old friends,” he added.
The CWC meeting comes in the wake of the all-party meeting convened by the Prime Minister last week. India and China are engaged in a diplomatic resolution of the stand-off while Nepal on June 13 unanimously adopted the Constitution Amendment Bill, paving the way for accommodating the updated political-administrative map in the national emblem which includes the Indian areas of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura.
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