Rahul Gandhi targets Centre over ‘China sitting on our territory’, tariffs by ‘ally’ US

He was referring to 27% reciprocal tariff announced by the US last evening.

Recollecting a remark by late PM Indira Gandhi, Rahul said when asked whether her leniency in foreign policy is towards the left or right, she said she stood straight. “BJP and RSS have a different philosophy. They bow their head right in front of every foreigner. It’s not in their culture… But as a government, what are you doing? What are you doing on the tariff that our ally has imposed on us?” he asked.

He also alleged that China had taken over 4,000 sq km of “our territory”. During Zero Hour, Rahul said: “I was shocked to see our foreign secretary cutting a cake with the Chinese ambassador… China is sitting on 4,000 sq km of our territory. It is a known fact.”

“The question is what’s exactly is happening to this territory… 20 jawans had been martyred and their martyrdom is being celebrated by cutting a cake,” he said. “We are not against normalcy, but before normalcy, there should be status quo.”

He said both PM Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu had written to the Chinese government, and “the people in India came to know about it from the Chinese Ambassador”.

BJP’s Anurag Thakur alleged it was during the Congress governments that the annexation of Indian territory at the India-China border took place.

He said all the wrongdoings that Gandhi pointed out had occurred due to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s policies and during his time. He also referred to the allegations that the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had accepted funds from China. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also blamed Congress PMs for India’s issues with China. He hailed PM Modi’s relationship with world leaders. “… A weak PM like yours (Congress’s), who gave away Tibet, who gave land to the Chinese… Indira Gandhi gave away Kachchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka,” Dubey said. “We have not given an inch of land to China.”