Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government for not responding to China’s recent remark on Kashmir, the Congress said on Friday that it would raise the issue in Parliament.
“The Prime Minister should inform the House about his position in the matter and I am sure that the House will unanimously express concern over the [Chinese] statement but we don’t expect the Prime Minister and the Foreign Ministry to keep quiet for two days on a matter of great importance,” said senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal.
Addressing a press conference outside Parliament, Mr. Sibal questioned Mr Modi’s silence on the Chinese statement on the political and human rights crisis in Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen ‘commander’ Burhan Wani.
‘Direct interference’
Mr. Sibal described China’s statement that it had “taken note of relevant reports” and was “equally concerned about the causalities” in Kashmir, as “a direct interference in the domestic affairs of India.”
“A public statement should have been made by the Prime Minister on the Floor of the House to express both concern and respond to the Chinese Government by alerting them that they should not fish in troubled waters and that they have no locus standi to comment on the internal affairs of India,” said the MP said.
Lashing out at the Prime Minster Modi for disrupting the balance of power that was set by his predecessor Manmohan Singh, Mr. Sibal said the realigning India’s foreign policy in favour of the U.S. displays “lack of maturity” as it has estranged the country’s relationship with its closest neighbour, China.
“We kept a very delicate balance between our relationship with the United States and with China and considered both of them as partners in the progress of this region. The present PM — of course, External Affairs Minister is irrelevant —has not handled the situation with any sense of maturity,” said Mr. Sibal.
Mr. Sibal cited media reports that Indian army has deployed 100 tanks in the Ladakh border as a measure against China's “aggressive military and infrastructure built up” across the border. “Again the Chinese Foreign Ministry reacted to it and that is also very significant,” said Mr. Sibal.
Changed terminology
Highlighting the sudden change in the terminology that China has used with regard to Kashmir, Mr. Sibal said: “Chinese first referred to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir as ‘administered by Pakistan’. Now, for the first time, they have said the Frontier Defence Regiment of the People’s Liberation Army in Xinjiang along with Border Police Force from Pakistan will carry out a joint patrol along the China-Pakistan Border. Now they consider that as the China-Pakistan Border and not an ‘administered territory’ of Pakistan.”
