Rahul Gandhi Didn't 'Walk Out': Chairman on Parliamentary Defence Meet

Rahul accused the government of mishandling the border dispute with China.

File Photo: Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi

(Photo: IANS)

Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence Jual Oram of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, 15 July said that although Rahul Gandhi raised issues relating to border disputs with China and Pakistan he didn't walk out from the defence meet.

"After discussions, he took permission to leave. He raised the border-situation issue and more, but no agenda has been finalised," Oram stated, news agency ANI reported.

The congress leader on Wednesday, had reportedly walked out of a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence meeting over differences on the composition of the panel's agenda.

Rahul wanted a discussion on border dispute with China to be discussed, but the request was declined by the committee's Oram. Other Congress MPs, too, had reportedly stormed out with Gandhi before the meeting ended.

Rahul has expressed criticism of the government over its handling of the border dispute with China.

As per Oram, the China issue was not on the committee's pre-decided agenda, which centred on reviewing "the working of cantonment boards," Hindustan Times reported.

Oram reminded that MPs need to give prior notice to discuss subjects straying from the agenda.

However, the Congress leader asserted the importance of 'more relevant' important security issues like the standoff with China in eastern Ladakh and the threat from Pakistan, sources told the daily.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi had also issued a statement on the anniversary of the Galwan clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers had been killed along with an unknown number of Chinese soldiers.

She had written, "Having patiently waited for the government to come clean and inform the nation about the circumstances, in which the unprecedented incident happened and reassure the people that the sacrifices of our brave jawans were not in vain, the Congress Party reiterates its concern that no clarity is yet available and the Prime Minister's last word on the subject a year ago was that no transgression had occurred."

(With inputs from IANS)