Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government are scared of the questions that will be asked on the situation along the Line of Actual Control, which is why the Opposition was not allowed to speak after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement in the Lok Sabha, the Congress said after staging a walkout from the House.
Also read: Parliament proceedings | In Galwan, Army inflicted heavy casualties on Chinese side: Rajnath Singh
Floor leader of Congress Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said there are many questions but the Congress on Tuesday only wanted to express solidarity with the Army. “But we were not even granted half a minute..not even to speak in support of Mr. Singh’s statement,” he said.
He also sought to remind that when BJP leader and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee demanded a discussion after the 1962 Indo-China war, then PM Jawaharlal Nehru agreed for it and Parliament debated the subject for two days.
Parliament proceedings, Sept. 15 updates
“Why was Prime Minister Narendra Modi absent from Parliament on a day his government has tabled such an important statement?” Mr. Chowdhury asked. His deputy in the House Gaurav Gogoi said the Congress was deliberately silenced. He said PM Modi, speaking outside Parliament on Monday, had said we should all speak in one voice and that is what the Congress wanted to do. “We wanted to send a message of solidarity to our troops and a stern warning to China that they should not test our patience. Unfortunately, this government feels that they alone can speak in support of the Army,” Mr. Gogoi said. The intention, Mr. Gogoi said, was to silence the party.
The Prime Minister, even after 20 soldiers were killed in the Galwan Valley, maintained that the Chinese army did not enter the Indian territory, he said. “This is also the position of the Chinese government and PM Modi’s statement has only undermined India’s position and strengthened them,” Mr. Gogoi said.
Also read: LAC standoff | Rajnath categorically conveys India’s position to Chinese counterpart
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is abroad accompanying his mother for medical treatment, in a tweet took a dig at Mr. Modi exhorting him not to be scared of naming China. “It is clear from the statement of the Defence Minister that Modiji misled the country on Chinese encroachment. Our country has always been, and will remain, with the Army. But Mr. Modi when will you stand against China? When will we take back the land of our country from China? Do not be afraid to name China,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
