The Congress on Wednesday reiterated that the Narendra Modi Government is not at all serious about the Chinese intrusions and accused the Prime Minister of ignoring the advice from it regarding the appointment of a Special Representative, who could carry forward talks between the two nations on border issue.
“I would like to advice the Prime Minister that diplomacy is not event management, State craft is very complex. He should show seriousness by appointing the Special Representative so that he can engage with Representative of Chinese Government and Chinese President to discuss this border issue,” AICC spokesperson Anand Sharma said during the AICC briefing.
Sharma, who was part of the delegation led by party president Sonia Gandhi to meet the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, said the repeated intrusions were a matter of grave national concern and the party hopes that the Government through its diplomacy and State craft will succeed in diffusing tensions on the border in the spirit of agreement on guiding principles signed in 2005.
The former Union Minister said the Prime Minister and his Government knew for long that the Chinese President was visiting in September. “The Government and the Prime Minister was busy in managing the event in a grand manner, as it should be because it is an important visit, but they forgot that he as a Prime Minister has not appointed or nominated a Special Representative,” he said.
Sharma said that when a Congress delegation led by Sonia Gandhi met Jinping, the party had very clearly said that peace on the border and the solution of the border issues through talks are necessary for the partnership in economy and development to grow. Asked about Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju’s alleged comments that the border issue dates back to UPA, Sharma said the Minister is young.
“He is a young Minister.He is not giving any new knowledge but it will be good if he gains knowledge for himself because this is an old and complex issue. Rubbing it in, he said Rijiju should lodge his protest with Modi and the Prime Minister should apologise to him.