Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday, 12 February, addressed a special press conference to raise concerns about India giving away land to China, and not following through the status quo ante stance.
Gandhi started the press conference by saying, “The Indian government’s position at the beginning of this (India-China standoff) was status quo ante, starting April 2020, which is what they had been negotiating for.”
“Indian troops are now going to be stationed at Finger 3. Finger 4 is our territory, that is where our post used to be. Now, we have moved from Finger 4 to Finger 3. Why has PM Modi given up Indian territory to the Chinese?”Rahul Gandhi
Gandhi’s questions come a day after Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated in Parliament that disengagement between India-China troops have begun from North and South bank of Pangong lake in Ladakh, after a nine month stand-off.
“Chinese side will keep its troop presence in the north bank area to east of Finger 8. Indian troops will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3. Similar action would be taken in the south bank area by both sides,” Singh had stated in Parliament.
‘What Is the Take,’ Asks Gandhi
Gandhi said that Singh didn’t address a word on Depsang Plains, the most strategically important area from where China had entered.
“Why have the Indian troops, after the hard work they did capturing Kailash ranges, been asked to move back? What has India got in return for this? Why have the Chinese not moved back? Why have they not withdrawn from Gogra-Hot springs?” he said.
“We gave Finger 4, they are sitting in Depsang, Gogra and Hot Spring. What is the take? There is no take, only give, and the reason is clear. The PM can't stand before China. The Prime Minister of India has given Indian territory to China. This is the truth,” Gandhi added.
Gandhi said that we had no strategic advantage since the Chinese were in our land, in Depsang Plains.
He added, “PM is a coward who cannot stand up to the Chinese. He is spitting on the sacrifice of our army. He is betraying the sacrifice of the army. Nobody in India should be allowed to do it, nobody in the rest of the world should be allowed to do it.”
“Our soldiers, air force and navy are ready to stand up against China, our PM is not. I trust the army, the navy, the air force, and the citizens of the country. The responsibility of the PM is to protect the territory of the country, but he has ceded the territory to China,” he concluded.
LAC Standoff
The development on Pangong Tso comes amid a months-long standoff between the two militaries at the LAC. A violent face-off last year between the two sides at the Galwan Valley led to 20 Indian soldiers being killed.
The ninth Corps Commander-level talks between the two countries took place on 25 January at the Moldo meeting point.
The Indian delegation was led by Lieutenant General PGK Menon, the Corps Commander of Leh-based HQ 14 Corps, as India sought complete disengagement and withdrawing of forces from the disputed areas. A Ministry of External Affairs representative was also part of the dialogue.
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