China-Pak friendship goes back to Nehru era, grew during Congress regimes: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday countered Rahul Gandhi's allegation over the China-Pakistan friendship, saying the bond between the two countries exists since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru and grew during subsequent Congress governments.

Speaking on foreign policy issues, Gandhi in Parliament had said that the Union government's stand on China and Pakistan worked only to bring the two neighbouring countries together to work against India. "The single biggest strategic goal of India has been to keep China and Pakistan apart. But what you have done is brought them together. You have committed the single biggest crime you can commit... China has a plan," he had said.

Reacting to it, Rajnath said Gandhi’s statement showed that the Congress leader had not read even the history of Independent India.

Addressing a rally at Gangolihat in poll-bound Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district, Singh said, "During his speech in Parliament recently, Rahul Gandhi said whatever came to his mind. He said that China and Pakistan have become friends because of the wrong policies of the Centre."

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"It only shows he has not even read the history of Independent India, not to speak of its ancient and medieval history," he said.

Countering his allegation, Singh said the friendship between Pakistan and China goes back to the days of Nehru and grew during subsequent Congress regimes.

Citing examples of this, he said, "Shaksgam Valley in POK was ceded by Pakistan to China during Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure, the Karakoram highway in POK was built by China during Indira Gandhi's prime ministership and the construction of China-Pakistan economic corridor began in 2013 when the Congress was in power."

Singh accused the Congress of misleading people to get their support.

He also attacked Gandhi for "questioning the valour of India's soldiers", saying the leader said only three-four PLA soldiers were killed by the Indian troops in the Galwan valley. "An investigative journalist from Australia has recently found that at least 38-50 PLA soldiers had been killed in the Galwan clashes," he said, adding that "such parties should not be forgiven."

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