Congress welcomes Doklam announcement; awaits details from government

Congress on Monday welcomed the moves by India and China to de-escalate the tension in the Doklam region and expected the Modi government to brief opposition parties on the “nitty-gritty” of the agreement that led to the end of the two-month standoff with Beijing.

Congress also asked the government and the ruling BJP to refrain from resorting to “jingoism and euphoria” over the peace moves with China as it could lead to complications.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said both India and China had displayed maturity in reaching the agreement over disengagement in Doklam region. “We have been saying from the beginning that the two sides should avoid confrontation and find a solution through dialogue,” he said.

At the same time, Sharma said he expected the Modi government to call leaders of opposition parties to share the broad contours of the agreement reached with China.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, wanted to know who “blinked” first and whether the disengagement in Doklam would be “simultaneous or sequential”.

The trigger for the stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops was over Beijing's moves to build a road in the Doklam plateau located near the tri-junction of the international border of India, Bhutan, and China.

“Any undertaking that they will not build the road next month,” Tharoor said on Twitter in his “preliminary reaction” on the Doklam announcement.

Sharma, a former Union Minister, also counseled the BJP and the Modi government against going overboard on the de-escalation of tensions with China.

“We are happy that a conflict has been prevented. At the same time, jingoism and euphoria can be counter-productive and can create complications,” Sharma cautioned.

Sharma said he had expected a solution to the stand-off in Doklam before the BRICS summit scheduled for September 3-5 in Xiamen in China.

“Good sense appears to be prevailing and diplomatic channels have been functioning. ... It was but expected that prior to the BRICS Summit in September first week, there will be a serious attempt to end the standoff. We will await the details of what understanding has been reached,” Sharma said.

The senior Congress leader was also dismissive of China's assertions that its troops would continue to patrol the Doklam region. “China has been patrolling that areahistorically. One should not read too much into it,” Sharma said.