Defence Ministry Refute Rahul Gandhi Allegations, BJP Hit Back for Calling Modi “Coward”
NEW DELHI, Feb 12: Within hours of the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Narendra Modi government of having conceded Indian territory to China in coming to disengagement agreement in Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh, defence ministry issued a strongly-worded statement refuting all the charges and claiming that India had not ceded even an inch of land and persistently maintained its right to patrol up to Finger 8 which China claimed to be its territory.
The BJP also hit back launching a personal attack on Gandhi in response to the Congress leader slamming the prime minister to be “coward.”
The defence ministry said India has not conceded any territory as a result of the agreement finalised with China and added that the effective safeguarding of country’s national interest and territory in the eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the government reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces.
“India has not conceded any territory as a result of this agreement. On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for LAC (Line of Actual Control) and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo,” the defence ministry statement said.
Instead the defence ministry reminded the Congress that the then Congress government at the centre had allowed China to keep more than 43,000 square kilometer area under its illegal occupation after the Chinese aggression in 1962.
Pointing out that India has persistently maintained the right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China, the ministry said Indian territory is at Finger 8 and not Finger 4. “The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962. Even the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China.”
Gandhi while addressing a media conference in Rajasthan had attacked the BJP government at the centre questioning why the prime minister had “given up” the country’s territory to China.
Pointing out that the troops are now going to be stationed at Finger 3, moving back from Finger 4, which is also Indian territory, he asked, “Why has Mr Modi given up our territory to the Chinese?”
Gandhi further stated that the “PM is a coward who cannot stand up to the Chinese”. “He is betraying the sacrifice of our Army. Nobody in India should be allowed to do it,” he said.
Hitting back at Gandhi, the BJP accused the Congress leader of “lying left, right and centre” and denigrating the country’s security forces, and said the “nation cannot forgive the Gandhi family for losing 43,000 sq kms of land to China”.
“When one does not have a moral conscience, when one cannot contribute anything positive, one resorts to lies. Rahul lied left, right and centre. Perhaps Rahul is depressed that he could not become PM. He knows that even his shadow won’t support him & can’t digest the huge public mandate to PM Narendra Modi,” Union minister and BJP leader Pralhad Joshi said.
Mounting a personal attack on Gandhi because he called Modi “coward,” Joshi alleged that the former Congress chief’s “utterances” were based on “far-fetched presumptions and raise serious doubts on his mental health. The selective amnesia which Rahul often displays seems a regular order. Denigrating efforts and sacrifices of our security forces, whom you are placating? Why? Because you got some donation for your party? Can’t forget your meeting with the Chinese,” Joshi said in a social media post.
Gandhi’s accusation came after Defence minister Rajnath Singh had informed Parliament on Thursday that India and China have reached an agreement on disengagement in the north and south bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh that mandates both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a “phased, coordinated and verifiable” manner.
Singh had said that China will pull back its troops to the east of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank of Pangong lake and the Indian Army will be based at its permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 in the region.
Referring to Singh’s statement, the defence ministry stated that there are outstanding problems to be addressed, including at Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang.
“The outstanding issues are to be taken up within 48 hours of the completion of the Pangong Tso disengagement,” it added.
More than nine months after the clash in Galwan Valley, troops of India and China on Wednesday started pulling back armoured elements – tanks and infantry combat vehicles – from heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso.
The withdrawal of the armoured elements from one of the multiple friction points in the east Ladakh sector came nearly a fortnight after military commanders of the two armies agreed on January 24 to push for an early disengagement of their frontline troops.
The Chinese defence ministry’s website on Wednesday had issued a statement and said the frontline units of Chinese and Indian armed forces have begun to disengage at Pangong lake on February 10 in line with the consensus reached during the ninth round of military commander-level talks.
(Manas Dasgupta)
