BJP: Army Chief’s suggestion of Indian ‘intrusions’ unfortunate

In a recent interview, General Kapoor had mentioned that Chinese incursions in Indian territory should be seen in the light of the fact that the two countries have differing perceptions on the Line of Actual Control. He went on to suggest that just as Chinese side made intrusions into Indian territory, the Indian Army, too, may have sometimes intruded into the Chinese land.

“If he has been speaking with the authorisation from the Government, I would urge you to kindly revise that authorisation,” he said, addressing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who was present during the debate. “Incursion is a serious issue. It cannot be a matter of perception,” he said.

Jaswant Singh also criticised External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee for “talking in glowing terms” about the rapid growth in infrastructure by China in the Tibet region. “I think such statements are better not made, even if they are merely stating the facts. It does us no good,” he said.

Referring to the PM’s talks with his Chinese counterpart on trans-border rivers, Singh advised the Government to tread cautiously. “I know of plans to build a dam on the Brahmaputra river on the Tibetan side. I would like to know what has been the response of China during the talks with our Prime Minister,” he said.

Jaswant Singh had earlier reacted strongly to the mention of Kandahar hijacking episode in the PM’s statement in the Lok Sabha, saying Manmohan Singh, being the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha then, was part of the decision to release militants. “A number of canards have been spread with respect to Kandahar. This has gone on for too long,” he said, adding that the mention of Kandahar by the PM was “unwarranted and deeply saddening”.

“IC-814 hijacking was a challenge for the entire country and not just one party or an individual. It had been decided at an all-party meeting that simply letting 166 innocent passengers, among them women and children, Indian and foreigners, die will not end terrorism.”