Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Asking the Modi government to explain what it is doing to reclaim territory usurped by China and the 26% tariff imposed by "ally" United States, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the ruling BJP claiming that both the saffron party and RSS bow their heads before every foreigner.
BJP hit back at Rahul with Anurag Thakur claiming that Congress has not answered whether Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has taken money from the Chinese and Nishikant Dubey claiming that not an inch is given to China and that the whole world bows before Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Thakur also said it was under Congress rule that China had occupied Indian territory.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Rahul said he was "shocked" to see the Foreign Secretary cutting a cake with the Chinese Ambassador when it is a "known fact" that China is "sitting on" India's 4,000 km of territory.
Recalling the killing of 20 Indian soldiers in Galwan, he alleged that the government was celebrating their sacrifice by cutting cake. He said they were not against normal relationship with the neighbouring country but first, India needs to get back the lost territory.
"We should get our land back. It has also come to my notice that the Prime Minister and the President have written to the Chinese. We are not finding this out from our own people but it is the Chinese Ambassador who is informing us about this," he said.
"Foreign policy is about managing external relations. You have given China 4,000 kilometers of land. On the other side, our ally (US) has suddenly decided to impose a 26% tariff, which will completely devastate our economy. Our auto industry, pharmaceutical industry, and agriculture are all in line," he said.
Rahul also recalled a question posed to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi whether she leaned right or left on foreign policy and said she responded saying she does not lean right or left but stand straight.
"The BJP and RSS have a different philosophy. When asked do you lean right or left, they say they bow their heads to every foreigner that comes. This is something that is in their culture, history. However, we would like an answer from the government about what are you doing about our land, and what are you going to do about the tariff that our ally has imposed on us?" he said.
Rahul and Congress have been raising questions about the Modi government’s handling of the border row with China. The Congress has also posed questions to the government on the US imposing tariffs on India.
Responding to Rahul during Zero Hour, Thakur said, "They kept talking about Hindi-Chini bhai bhai and stabbed us in the back. Who was the leader that was having Chinese soup with Chinese officials at the time of Doklam and did not stand with the people of the Indian army. Which is the foundation which took money from Chinese officials. Question has not been answered whether Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had taken that money or not.”
“Under the Modi government, we can say the Indian army gave a befitting reply during Doklam. The PM went to the border and boosted the morale of the armed forces. The defence minister also went...Some people level false allegations while colluding with China for their political advantage,” he said.
Dubey said, "US president calls Modi his friend, Australian PM calls him boss, Papua New Guinea PM touches his feet. A weak PM like yours, who gave Tibet, who gave territory to the Chinese... Indira Gandhi gave away Kachchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka. It is not a time for a weak PM like yours, it is not Nehru's country. We have not given an inch to China...Your PMs made agreements due to which China is our enemy and your agreement on Tibet was wrong. We are proud that PM Modi is our PM and the whole world bows before him," he said.
At a meeting of Congress Parliamentary Party earlier in the day, its Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also raised the issue of China and said they had been asking for a discussion in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the “grave challenges posed by China on our borders and the shocking clean chit” given to it by the Prime Minister.
“His (Modi’s) statement adversely impacted our negotiating position, but that too was refused. Meanwhile, imports from China are booming and destroying our MSMEs that are the main job creators in the economy,” she said.