India-China: “Prime Minister ji, speak up and do not be scared: Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI : Rahul Gandhi has been scaling up his campaign against the government with near-daily attacks since Indian soldiers died in a violent face-off with Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh last Monday.
On Friday, he was joined by his mother Sonia Gandhi, the Congress interim chief, and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the party’s in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, who also launched similar attacks on the government with a coordinated campaign on social media “#SpeakUpForOurJawans”.
Taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue of China-India standoff in Ladakh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Friday asked him to speak up on the issue and take the nation into confidence on the situation at the border.
While Sonia Gandhi said the Centre cannot shirk its responsibility of securing India’s borders with China, her son Rahul Gandhi said the prime minister’s “denial will benefit China” and asked Modi to tell the country the truth about whether China has occupied any Indian territory.
In a video message, the Congress chief asked why were the country’s soldiers martyred when China has not captured any Indian territory, as claimed by the prime minister. “Today when there is a crisis-like situation at the India-China border, the Centre cannot shirk its responsibility (of securing them),” she said in a video message as part of the party’s ‘Speak Up For Our Jawans’ campaign.
“The country wants to know that if China has not captured our land in Ladakh, as claimed by the prime minister, then why were our 20 soldiers martyred,” Sonia Gandhi asked.
She said while the prime minister says there is no intrusion into Indian territory, “experts after seeing satellite images talk of the presence of Chinese troops in our territory confirming the intrusions”.
“When and how will the Modi government take back from China our land in Ladakh? Is our territorial integrity being violated by China in Ladakh? Will the PM take the nation into confidence on the situation at the border?” Gandhi asked.
In his video message, Rahul Gandhi said if the prime minister says no Indian territory has been occupied by China, while satellite images show otherwise, then China stands to benefit from his statement.
As part of the Congress’ ‘Speak Up For Our Jawans’ campaign in honour of the 20 Indian Army personnel killed in a face-off with Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15,
Noting that the entire country is standing behind the prime minister, the former Congress chief said, “We have to together fight China and throw them out”. “Prime Minister ji, speak up and do not be scared. You will have to tell the truth to the country. Don’t be scared to say that “yes, China has taken our land and we are going to act against them. The whole country is with you,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi asked the government to explain who had sent Indian soldiers without weapons to the border. The entire country demands that China must vacate the entire Galwan valley, Pangong Tso and go back to original areas.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also put out a video on social media saying the country wants to know the truth as the sacrifice of the brave soldiers would not be allowed to go in vain.
“When the prime minister was meeting Chinese leaders, what kind of compromises were made? What talks were held that gave China the courage to capture our land? The country wants to know why were our soldiers sent to face Chinese troops unarmed?” she posed.
Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi are acting like mouthpieces of China. People of India are asking tough questions and they are running away. You have stolen the money from government of India,” BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said on Friday.
(With Agency Inputs ).
