The Congress party launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government on Tuesday, alleging that it has provided a “clean chit” to Beijing regarding border encroachments. This accusation came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that China has been unable to seize “even a single inch” of Indian territory under the current administration.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh criticized the Modi government, asserting that each time the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) absolves China of wrongdoing, it exacerbates India’s challenges in dealing with illegal Chinese encroachments.
Ramesh referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s previous statement, made four years ago following an all-party meeting after the Galwan clash, suggesting that China exploited Modi’s remarks globally to refute allegations of encroachment on Indian territory.
In response to Shah’s assertion about China’s inability to encroach on Indian land during the current government’s tenure, Ramesh emphasized the BJP’s responsibility in making it more difficult for India to address China’s illicit encroachments.
Highlighting reported instances of Chinese occupation, Ramesh cited the occupation of 2,000 square kilometers of Indian soil, the takeover of 26 out of 65 patrolling points in Ladakh, and the establishment of complete villages deep inside Arunachal Pradesh.
Reiterating the Congress’s commitment to confronting the issue, Ramesh outlined the party’s strategies to bolster India’s defense against external threats, as outlined in their Nyay-Patra manifesto.
Despite ongoing military and diplomatic discussions between India and China aimed at disengagement in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the standoff, which commenced nearly four years ago, remains unresolved. Despite some disengagement efforts in certain areas, tens of thousands of troops and advanced weaponry from both sides remain deployed in the Ladakh region, with issues persisting at Depsang and Demchok.
