Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, slammed the Modi government on Tuesday, 15 September, after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement in the Parliament on the India-China standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
"It is clear from the statement of the Defence Minister that Modi ji misled the country on Chinese encroachment. Our country has always stood with the Indian Army and will continue to do so. But Modi ji, when will you stand up against China? When will you take back our country's territory from China? Don't be scared of taking China's name," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote in a tweet in Hindi.
The defence minister had started his address on the India-China standoff at the beginning of proceedings in the Lok Sabha at 3 pm on Tuesday. Later, Congress MPs staged a walkout from the Lower House demanding a discussion on the border issue, reported ANI.
Shashi Tharoor, Owaisi Weigh In
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was among those who joined Congress MPs in "protesting the lack of opportunity to discuss the Sino-Indian border after the strong statement of Rajnath Singh".
"The nation stands united behind our soldiers but, as in 1962, there are legitimate issues to raise," he wrote with the hasthag 'No Questions for BJP'.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi labelled Rajnath Singh's statement "weak and inadequate". "This is a 'ghinona mazaak' (disgusting joke) in name of national security," he wrote, as he went on to post a series of questions he would have asked if he was permitted to speak in the House following Singh's statement.
‘Shielding the Govt’s Image Comes First’: Geostrategist
Geostrategist Brahma Chellaney wrote on Twitter saying, "Rajnath Singh's statement shows the Modi government remains loath to admit China has encroached on Indian areas."
"Shielding the government’s image comes first. This explains why India hasn't labelled China the aggressor, leaving the field open for China to call India the aggressor," he said.
What Rajnath Singh Said
The India and China border issue remains unresolved, with no mutually acceptable solution till now, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in his address to the members of Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the second day of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
"China doesn't recognise the traditional and customary alignment of the boundary. We consider that this alignment is based on well-established geographical principles," Singh was quoted as saying.
While calling the current standoff different from those in the past, in terms of scale and number of friction points, he asserted that India remains "committed to a peaceful resolution".
Calling China's violent conduct along the Line of Actual Control a violation of all existing agreements, the defence minister said, "Our troops have done counter deployments in the area to safeguard our borders."
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