A day after India and China announced disengagement and de-escalation at the Ladakh border, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked why India has not insisted on restoring status quo ante , allowed China to ‘justify’ the Galwan Valley clashes and did not mention territorial sovereignty over the Galwan Valley.
In a tweet, he said the government of India was duty-bound to protect national interest.
Lok Sabha member and former Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor too stressed on restoring status quo ante .
“Disengagement is welcome, but means little unless the status quo ante is restored. Otherwise we’ll yet again see both sides declare peace, with China having changed the facts on the ground & moved the LAC closer to where it wants. The May-June status cannot become the ‘new normal’ ”, tweeted Mr. Tharoor as the Congress insisted on restoring the status that existed on the borders before May 5.
Mr. Gandhi asked on Twitter:
“National interest is paramount. GOI’s duty is to protect it. Then,
1. Why has Status Quo Ante not been insisted on? 2. Why is China allowed to justify the murder of 20 unarmed jawans in our territory? 3. Why is there no mention of the territorial sovereignty of Galwan valley?”
Sharing the Indian and the Chinese press statements , Mr. Gandhi highlighted a sentence from the China’s Ministry of Foreign Affair that read, “The right and wrong of what happened in the Galwan Valley on the western sector of the China-India boundary is very clear. China will continue safeguarding our territorial sovereignty as well as peace and tranquillity in the border areas”.
On Monday, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma described it as a positive development but sought to praise the armed forces for “standing firm to protect India’s territory”.
‘Need for eternal vigil’
“Reports of Chinese troops withdrawal from Galwan Valley is a positive development. Disengagement and de-escalation on Line of Actual Control is a priority. India must insist for pullback in Pangong Tso. There is need for eternal vigil,” tweeted Mr. Sharma, who heads the party’s Foreign Affairs cell.
“China needs to realise that stability and peace at borders and restoration of status quo ante is a must to rebuild trust. Proud of our Army for standing firm in Nations defence,” he added.
Dalai Lama birthday
The Congress, however, continued to attack the Modi government and the BJP over its response to China. Party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked why the Prime Minister had not wished the Tibetan Spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
“We waited for Hon’ble @PMOIndia to lead the nation in wishing HE the Dalai Lama a very Happy Birthday. Modi ji may have had his compulsions for not doing so. On behalf of the entire Nation, we wish HE @DalaiLama a long and healthy life. We are privileged for your blessings,” Mr. Surjewala tweeted late on Monday.
