PM, Shah must respond on China 'aggression' in Arunachal: Kharge
The Congress on Friday, Aug 14 said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah must tell the nation whether China has stopped Indian troops from patrolling in certain areas of Arunachal Pradesh.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said India firmly stands behind its soldiers and is united against any Chinese aggression, but the Modi government must respond to the reports. "After Galwan, now Arunachal Pradesh? Disturbing reports suggest that China is attempting to push further into areas in Arunachal Pradesh, an inalienable part of our nation. This demands immediate answers from the Modi Government," Kharge said on X.
There has been no immediate reaction from the government on the claims, and no official word on any such development in Arunachal Pradesh.
"Let us not forget that after 20 of our brave soldiers made the supreme sacrifice in Galwan in 2020, none less than PM Modi gave China a 'CLEAN CHIT', emboldening their transgressions! That record inspires no confidence," the Congress chief said, citing the violent clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan in 2020.
"The Prime Minister, Defence Minister and Home Minister must answer to the nation. We have complete faith in the courage and capability of the Indian Armed Forces. India stands firmly behind our soldiers and united against any Chinese aggression," Kharge said.
He also asked whether the People's Liberation Army (PLA), as the Chinese military is known, had expanded its presence near Taksing, and whether India had lost regular access to Shera-5, a designated patrolling point.
"Why is Indian patrolling reportedly limited during winter in this sensitive sector while the PLA maintains a year-round presence? Why are traditional grazing and hunting grounds becoming inaccessible to local communities? Has the pre-May 2020 status quo ante in Eastern Ladakh been fully restored? The BJP is culpable in hiding facts about the situation on the ground and taking Parliament into confidence on whether India retains full access to all areas and patrolling points it accessed prior to May 2020," the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha asked.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had alleged on Thursday that China has stopped Indian troops from patrolling in certain areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh, and that the government was making efforts to "hide it."
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday that India considers matters relating to border areas with China as "most serious," and asserted that maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC is of "utmost importance," as the state of the frontier will govern the overall trajectory of bilateral ties.
The MEA's remarks came amid reports of aggressive posturing by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri region. China said on Wednesday that the situation along the Sino-India border is "generally stable at the moment," while declining to comment on reports of stepped-up Chinese military activity near the Arunachal Pradesh border.
