State Congress seeks answers from the PM over China

Balasaheb Thorat and former CM Prithviraj Chavan address media against PM's misleading statements on China standoff, in Colaba on Friday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

The Congress staged a silent protest against the Union government and paid tributes to the army personnel who laid their lives in hand-to-hand combat with the Chinese forces on Friday. Later in the day, the leaders asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi some uncomfortable questions over the handling of the Indo-China border issue while they participated in the online campaign #SpeakUpForOurJawans.

Former CM Prithviraj Chavan led the charge accusing the PM of telling lies at the all-party meeting. "The PM's statement that China did not occupy the Indian land or intrude has damaged the country more than anything. It has helped China in consolidating its position on the international platform and also weakened our scope of negotiating with the troublesome neighbour. In fact, I'm told that the Indian PM has become very popular in China," said Chavan while addressing a media conference at the party's Fort office.

Chavan, who also worked as a minister in-charge of the Manmohan Singh-led PMO said his former boss' has advised the incumbent PM that he should be mindful of the implications of his words and cannot allow China to use them as a vindication of its position. "Was it that Mr Modi didn't want to upset his friend (by saying the truth), the Chinese president who has met 18-19 times so far and hosted him in Gujarat?" said Chavan.

The former CM sought to know how many times the Chinese intrusion happened in the Galwan valley since April and May 2020 and also asked for a status quo report as claimed by the PM. He demanded transparency in information rather than disinformation than allegedly upset the spirit of the nation and its armed forces. Chavan wanted the PM to speak on the latest reports and satellite imagery that suggests that China has deployed 10,000 troops, artillery regiment, vehicles and constructed tents and bridges in the river bed.

State Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said the Modi government had failed in securing Indian border with China, and added that the party's state-wide silent protest had received.

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