Smarting under the discomfiture over Sharad Pawar’s suggestion to Rahul Gandhi not to politicise India-China violent stand-off, the Maharashtra Congress on Sunday said that using one of NCP chief’s comments the media “should not draw any conclusions” and “rush to give a clean chit to Modi” and question Gandhi’s stand on China.
A day after the media quoted Pawar as saying that “matters of national security should not be politicised” and “one cannot forget China had captured about 45,000 sq km of Indian land after the 1962 war” in the context of Rahul’s criticism of Modi, Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said: “It is still not completely clear what Shri. Sharad Pawar Saheb has said”.
“And by using just one of his comments the media should not draw any conclusions and rush to give a clean chit to the Prime Minister and raise questions on the stand taken by Shri. Rahul ji Gandhi. I am sure that Pawar Saheb is worried by Chinese incursion too,” Thorat said.
Talking to media persons at Satara in western Maharashtra, Pawar had said: “We can’t forget what had happened in 1962 when China occupied 45,000 square kilometres of India’s territory. While making these allegations, one should also look at what had happened in the past. This is an issue of national interest and once should not bring in politics here”.
Pawar, who is the supreme leader of the NCP that has formed a three-party government in alliance with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra, had made these remarks when his attention was drawn to Gandhi’s allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had surrendered Indian Territory to the Chinese aggression.
Among other things, the NCP chief had also said that the Centre could not be blamed for the standoff at Galwan Valley. “Our soldiers tried to push back Chinese army men when they tried to encroach upon Indian soil. To say this is the failure of anyone or of the defence minister isn’t correct. Had our army not been on alert, we wouldn’t have known Chinese assertion,” Pawar said.
In response, the State Congress president said in a statement issued here: “The Congress is with the government on the China issue, but that doesn't mean that questions shouldn't be asked on the issues of national interest”.
“The questions raised by Shri. Rahul ji Gandhi on border security is not politics, but a responsibility given by the people. We cannot compare the situation in 1962 with what is happening today,” Thorat said.
“Not a single soldier has lost his life on the India-China border in 45 years. Our 20 soldiers were martyred at Galwan Valley due to China's aggression. Even then the Prime Minister says no-one intruded on our territory. Using these statements of his, China is calling our martyrs as intruders. Just like the Congress Party, Sharad Pawar Saheb too must have been saddened by this,” Thorat said.
Maintaining that Gandhi had raised questions that are on the minds of the general public, Thorat said: “The concerns raised by Rahul ji are regarding the integrity of our Country. Even today the PM didn't utter a single word regarding the Chinese aggression in his Maan Ki Baat program. This is not the time to keep quiet”.
“BJP should not look at the suggestions of the Congress as politics! If it is about the integrity of the Country, then Rahulji and the Congress party will continue to ask questions,” the state Congress chief said.