Ahmed Patel lists Modi's 9 visits to China to take swipe at him over border face-off

Taking a swipe at the prime minister over the border face-off in Ladakh, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Saturday said China has "again occupied our territory" and listed that Narendra Modi had visited China nine times, including five as the premier.

"While Chinese have again occupied our territory, important to remember list of official visits to China (sic)," he said on Twitter, giving a list of visits by all former prime ministers to China.

He said Modi paid nine official visits to China, while his predecessor Manmohan Singh visited only twice.

Former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narsimha Rao visited only once each, he said. Other former prime ministers did not pay any visit to China, Patel said.

Despite numerous visits by Modi, the country is now faced with this situation, he said.

"One of the most decisive victories ever against the Chinese happened in 1967 at Sikkim border, under a Congress government. India had successfully inflicted huge casualties on enemy, drove them back and won the confidence of Sikkimese people. It was a befitting reply to 1962," he tweeted, referring to the 1962 war.

Patel said the present government gave the slogan of "Inch to Miles" for the ties between India and China, and asked, "Was it meant for what is happening at our border or for diplomatic relations."

The Congress has been demanding answers from the government on the current standoff between India and China on the border in eastern Ladakh.

On Thursday, Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava said India is maintaining military and diplomatic engagements with China to peacefully resolve the row at the "earliest".