New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will “finally agree” to a discussion on China in the forthcoming Monsoon session of Parliament, and said that when Parliament could debate the border situation during the 1962 Chinese invasion then why not now.
Tagging a media report on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar calling on Chinese President Xi Jinping and apprising him about the recent development in India-China bilateral ties, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at him, saying he is “now running a full blown circus aimed at destroying India’s foreign policy”.
“I guess the Chinese foreign minister will come and apprise Modi about recent developments in China-India ties. The EAM is now running a full blown circus aimed at destroying India’s foreign policy,” Gandhi said in a post on X.
Jaishankar and his counterparts from the SCO member nations on Tuesday met Chinese President Xi.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh pointed out that in his July 14 meeting with China’s Vice President Han Zheng, Jaishankar stated that the India-China bilateral relationship “has been steadily improving since the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi in Kazan last October” and that “continued normalisation of our ties can produce mutually beneficial outcomes”.
“Perhaps we should remind the EAM of recent developments in bilateral ties since the PM’s last tete-a-tete with President Xi: China gave total support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, turning it into a testing ground for network-centric warfare and weapon systems such as the J-10C fighter and PL-15E air-to-air missile and assorted drones,” he said in a statement.
Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rahul R Singh has stated that India fought three adversaries in Sindoor, including China that gave Pakistan “live inputs” i.e. real time intelligence on Indian military operations, Ramesh said.
Pakistan is likely to acquire Chinese J-35 stealth fighters in the near future, he pointed out.
China has restricted exports to India of critical materials like rare-earth magnets, speciality fertilisers, and tunnel-boring machines for infrastructure projects, Ramesh said.
Important sectors like telecoms, pharmaceuticals, and electronics remain critically dependent on Chinese imports, even as the trade deficit with China reaches a record USD 99.2 billion, he said.
Ramesh said hundreds of Chinese workers have departed from India’s Foxconn facilities, potentially impeding India’s attempt to become an alternative global supplier of Apple smart phones.
When are the External Affairs minister and Prime Minister Modi going to take the people of India into confidence and hold a detailed debate on China in Parliament — as the Congress has been calling for since 2020, he said.
The Congress hopes that the prime minister will finally agree to such a discussion and break the five-year drought in the forthcoming Monsoon session of Parliament, Ramesh said.
“If Parliament could debate the border situation in November 1962 when the Chinese invasion was at its peak, why cannot we discuss now, especially given that both sides appear to want renormalisation (albeit without necessarily restoring the May 2020 status,quo on the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh)?” the Congress leader said in his statement.
It is essential to build a national consensus on the critical security and economic challenges arising from China’s rise as the world’s leading manufacturing power and its position as the second-largest economy, one that may well surpass the United States within a decade, Ramesh said.
Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said given the history of Jaishankar’s statements, including his claim that India is a small economy that can’t fight a larger one, it’s not surprising that he’s downplaying China’s role.
Referring to the Pahalgam attack, Shrinate said, “The 28 martyred families continue to await justice, and the question remains: When will the terrorists be brought to justice? How did they infiltrate 200 kilometers into our territory, carried out the Pahalgam terror strike, and vanished without a trace?”
The lack of accountability and transparency raises more questions than answers, she said.
Shrinate also attacked the BJP, alleging that Jyoti Malhotra, arrested on charges of spying, had claimed to be from the Haryana BJP when crossing into Pakistan.
“Investigation revealed she was in contact with Danish, her handler at the Pakistan High Commission, who facilitated her trips to Pakistan. …The BJP’s connections to individuals involved in plotting and spying against India are not isolated incidents,” she alleged.
“The questions remain: What action has been taken against Jyoti Malhotra? What information has she revealed? What measures are being taken to apprehend the terrorists?” Shrinate said.
Malhotra was arrested in May this year, after the Pahalgam terror attack, on suspicion of spying for Pakistan.
The Congress’ attack on the government’s foreign policy came a day after Jaishankar, during his talks with Yi, said India and China should build on “good progress” in normalising bilateral ties to address border-related issues, including de-escalation. Jaishankar also held talks with the Chinese Vice President Han and conveyed to him that continued normalisation of bilateral ties can lead to mutually beneficial outcomes.
