Chidambaram on India-China clash: Rajnath’s statement was empty, House discussion was desirable

Obviously not. He said nothing more than what appeared in the newspapers this morning. I got the information from the newspapers at 6am. What is the additional information he has given us at 12.30pm. He might as well read from the newspapers. In fact, it was a completely bland and empty statement. Therefore, there was nothing that was added to the information of the members of Parliament.

You wanted to seek clarifications from the Defence Minister. What did you want to ask?

I would have asked… how does it happen that China chooses the date, the time and the place of the intrusion. And this is not the first time that it has happened. This happened in Galwan in 2020. After that every intrusion has happened at the time, place and date of China’s choice. So, what are you doing about deterring China from making these periodic intrusions?

Do you believe the government is not taking the threat by China seriously?

The government is taking it so seriously that it is afraid to speak about it. They are afraid to mention the word China. The Prime Minister does not mention the word China. He does not mention what happened when he met Mr Xi Jinping, the president of China. He has run into Mr Xi several times. The last meeting was at the G20 summit. He was there with Xi and they were in the same room. The Prime Minister does not mention the word China and he does not explain or take the House into confidence on what he told Xi about the intrusions. Did he tell Xi anything about the intrusions or not?

The demand of the Opposition to allow a discussion on the issue or seek clarifications from the Defence Minister was not accepted.

It is completely wrong. There have been discussions in the past after a minister makes a statement in the Rajya Sabha. For example, there was a discussion on the ‘cash for vote’ transaction during (P V) Narasimha Rao’s time. Secondly, when the Anna Hazare movement was on, there was a discussion for seven hours after a statement made in the Rajya Sabha. Some 27 members participated in that discussion. Again, there was a full discussion in Rajya Sabha on Lokpal after a statement by the minister. So, we have at least two or three examples of a full discussion after a minister’s statement . Now, how can you say there can be no discussion after a statement made by a minister.

The argument by the Chair was that it was a sensitive border issue.

If it is such a sensitive border issue, then have a closed-door session. Have an in-camera session of Parliament. If you don’t want to do that, then invite the opposition leaders — at least the parliamentary party leaders of major parties — and let the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister take the leaders into confidence.