The Congress accused the government of shying away from debating the Ladakh standoff issue in Lok Sabha and questioned the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the House.
Members of the Congress also walked out of the Lok Sabha and staged a sit-in in the Parliament House complex after they were not allowed to speak following a statement by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that after the defence minister’s statement, it is clear that the prime minister has “misled” the country about the Chinese aggression at the border.
“It is clear from the statement of the defence minister that Modi ji misled the country on Chinese intrusions. Our country has always stood and continues to stand behind the Indian army. But Modi ji, when will you stand against China? When will you take back our land from China? Don’t be afraid of naming China,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
Making a statement in Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Singh had said he would not hesitate to share that India is facing a “challenge” in Ladakh but at the same time added that the House should have “full confidence” that the armed forces will always rise to the challenge and make the country proud.
Firmly articulating the country’s position on the tense border row in eastern Ladakh, he said Beijing has been very clearly conveyed that any attempt to “unilaterally” change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control is not at all acceptable. (PTI)
