The PM should speak on China map issue: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with school students during his recent visit to Ladakh. Pic/PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday termed as "very serious" the issue of China releasing a "standard map" that laid claim over Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin, saying the neighbouring country had already taken India's land in Ladakh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should speak on the issue.

On Monday, Beijing released the 2023 edition of the so-called "standard map of China" that laid claim over Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as regions within its borders.

Asked about the map issue as he was leaving for Karnataka, Gandhi told reporters, "I have just returned from Ladakh and I have been saying for years that what the PM has said, that not one inch of land has been lost in Ladakh, is an absolute lie. The whole of Ladakh knows that China has usurped our land."

"This map issue is very serious but they have already taken away our land and the PM should say something about that too," the former Congress president said.
The Congress on Tuesday took strong objection to the inclusion of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin in China's map and asserted that these are inalienable parts of India which no such illegal representation or arbitrarily invented map by the "habitual offender" can change.

India has lodged a strong protest with China over the map.

Joshi flays Rahul

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday flayed Gandhi for his China allegations. "Rahul Gandhi's allegations are baseless," Joshi said. He said Gandhi should understand that "whatever land that China has grabbed was during the tenure of Jawaharlal Nehru".

BJP targets Rahul

The BJP on Wednesday flagged a 2008 MoU between the Congress and Chinese Community Party to target Rahul Gandhi, asking if it required him to work against India's interests. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said China captured over 43,000 sq km of Indian land when Nehru was PM and asked if Gandhi believed the leader was a "traitor". Gandhi should disclose the details of the MoU, he said, alleging it has been claimed it requires him to "spy" against India and to break morale of Indian forces when they act decisively against the Chinese.

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