Congress accuses Modi govt of 'raining clean chits on China'

The Congress on Saturday claimed the Union government has been "raining clean chits on China" following External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's remarks that the neighbour has no occupied Indian land. The grand old party alleged that these statements had been "orchestrated by 'Super Sutradhar' (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) himself".

It said a latest statement by Jaishankar and previous ones by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are not only a "profound insult to our fallen soldiers in Galwan" but also "represent the legitimisation" of Chinese claims over thousands of square kilometres of land to which Indian troops had access until May 2020.

In a statement, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said, "For four years, the Modi government has tried to cover up the worst territorial setback in six decades for India with its DDLJ approach: Deny, Distract, Lie and Justify. Jaishankar’s latest statement only highlights the extent of the Modi government’s submission to Chinese aggression."

He said Jaishankar's recent statement claiming that 'China has not occupied any of our land' represents a "renewed setback" to India’s position on its northern border, rivalled only by the Prime Minister’s statement that 'no Chinese soldier has entered India'.

"The Modi government has been raining clean chits on China for its aggression against India. After the Prime Minister's public clean chit on 19 June 2020 and the Home Minister's clean chit on 9 April 2024 comes a third clean chit...Clearly, this is all orchestrated by the Super Sutradhar himself," he said.

Ramesh claimed that Jaishankar's remarks in particular "represent an acceptance" of Chinese control over Demchok and the strategic Depsang Plains where Chinese troops continue to block Indian soldiers at the critical Y-Junction, preventing them from accessing Patrol Points 10, 11, 11A, 12 and 13.

"Chinese troops remain in place despite 21 rounds of military talks over four years. Where withdrawals have been negotiated, the Modi government has accepted buffer zones that lie predominantly in areas that Indian troops once freely accessed," Ramesh said.

Alleging that the Ministry of External Affairs reacted "weakly" to a video showing Chinese troops harassing and blocking shepherds’ access to grazing areas near Patrolling Points 35 and 36 in the Chushul sector, Ramesh said that rather than assert India’s rights, the government blandly stated that both countries are well aware of their respective traditional grazing zone.

"Indian authorities have reportedly asked the shepherds not to return to the area. This weak MEA response is par for the course when it comes to China," he added.