Talks with China progressing in a positive environment, says Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said boundary talks with China are currently progressing in a “positive environment” and those attempting to make an election issue out of the Chinese intrusions are trying to “encourage our opponents.”

“We have neither lost an inch of India’s land nor will we ever lose any,” the defense minister told DH in an interview when asked to comment on the recent letter written by the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge attacking the Modi government on Chinese transgressions in east Ladakh.

“At this moment talks with China are progressing in a very positive environment. And we should wait for the results,” Rajnath Singh added.

“Koshish yahi hein ki ye seema viwad suljhe, (the effort is to resolve the boundary dispute,” Singh said.

During their campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress leadership has repeatedly questioned the Modi government on the intrusions by India's Communist neighbour. At an election rally in Rajasthan before the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls, Kharge accused the PM of ‘sleeping’ over the issue.

“Such things happen when the borders are not clearly defined, and this situation has existed since pre-independence,” Rajnath Singh said.

“No nationalist will ever raise the issue in this manner the way they are doing. I feel those making such comments are trying to encourage our opponents,” the Defence Minister told DH. asserting that India will never allow any country to occupy our territory.

Without mentioning the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict, the defense minister said the opposition seems to have “forgotten the past.”

In the interview, Singh also clarified his and PM Modi’s recent remarks on eliminating terrorists at their homes.

“What else will we do but eliminate a terrorist who is trying to flee across the line of control after perpetrating an incident on our soil, we will certainly act,” Singh said on being asked about ‘ghar mein ghus kas marenge’ comments in election rallies.

Reacting to these statements, the US State Department had advocated India and Pakistan to seek resolution through dialogue and avoid escalation.