Don’t be afraid, come out of hiding and tell truth to nation: Rahul to PM on Ladakh face off
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come out of “hiding” and share the truth of the India-China face-off, saying the entire country is standing behind him.
Questioning the prime minister’s silence on the fierce clash between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh, he said the country needs to know what has happened and why Modi is silent.
“Why is the Prime Minister silent? Where are you hiding? You should come out, the whole country is standing behind you together. Come out and tell the truth to the country, don’t be afraid,” Gandhi told the prime minister in a video message.
Twenty Indian Army personnel including a colonel were killed in the clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff between the two.
The former Congress chief, in his message shared on his Twitter account, also saluted the brave martyrs of the country.
He said that two days ago, 20 Indian soldiers were martyred and snatched away from their families and China has snatched India’s land and usurped it.
“Why is the PM silent? Why is he hiding? Enough is enough. We need to know what has happened,” Gandhi earlier said on Twitter.
“How dare China kill our soldiers? How dare they take our land?” he said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also asked Prime Minister Modi to show up, saying it is time to stand up to China as it is threatening India’s sovereignty.
“Our land, our sovereignty is being threatened, our soldiers and officers have been martyred, are we just going to remain silent?
“India deserves the truth. It deserves a leadership that is willing to do anything before allowing its land to be taken. Show up Narender Modi ji, it’s time to stand up to China,” she said in a tweet.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi also urged Prime Minister to come forward and tell the country how Chinese troops occupied Indian territory and why 20 soldiers were killed.
In a video message, she assured the country of her party’s full support to the Indian Army and government and said, “I am confident that in these challenging times, the entire nation will unite to face the enemy.”
“I urge the prime minister to come before the country and reassure it on the basis of truth and facts in this hour of crisis,” she added.
Gandhi asked whether some Indian Army personnel were still missing and how many were still seriously injured. She said the government should explain its thinking and strategy to deal with the situation on the border in Ladakh.
“Today, when there is so much anger in the country over Chinese intrusion into Indian border, the prime minister should come out and tell the truth on how the Chinese occupied the Indian territory, why brave soldiers were martyred and what is the current situation along the LAC,” she said.
Gandhi assured the country of Congress party’s complete solidarity with the Army and government and said, “In this time of crisis, Congress stands with the Indian Army, the soldiers, their families and the government.”
She asked the prime minister to detail as to what portions of the Indian territory were under Chinese occupation.
“Which portions of the Indian territory have the Chinese occupied? What is their location? What is the government’s thinking and strategy to deal with this situation?” she asked.
The Congress president saluted the slain soldiers and said, “The sacrifice of 20 Indian soldiers on the LAC has shaken the very soul of India. I salute them and pay my tributes from the depths of my heart. I also pray that god grants their families the strength to brave this loss.”
Gandhi noted that since the last month and a half, the Chinese army had been intruding into the border region in Ladakh.
Twenty Indian Army personnel, including a colonel, were killed in a clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff in the region.
