PM SHOULD CONDEMN CHINA PUBLICLY FOR INCURSIONS: SIBAL

‘Last six years have seen the biggest diplomatic failure under the Modi government’

NEW DELHI: Continuing its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Ladakh violence and the India-china stand-off, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal asked the PM to publicly condemn China for its “brazen incursions” into Indian territory and urged the government to take “strong and quick action” to resolve the Line of Actual Control (LAC) issue.

At a virtual press conference, former union minister Sibal said that the PM should address the nation and promise that anyone capturing Indian territory would be pushed back. The entire nation and the entire opposition would stand behind him and his promise, he said.

Alleging that the last six years have seen the biggest diplomatic failure under the Modi government, Sibal said, “Some quick action should be taken to resolve the LAC issue with China.”

While noting that diplomacy and economic blockade with China would not work, he said, “The action should be strong (against China). The quality, nature and the timing of that action has to be decided by the government.”

In reply to a question as when the “quick action” would be taken, Sibal said it was for the government to decide and not the opposition.

The Congress leader alleged that China has erected tents and structures near PP-14 in Galwan Valley, the place where 20 Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives. “Satellite imagery also reflects the construction of new blacktop roads by Chinese forces on the Galwan riverbed, erection of large numbers of military tents and presence of bulldozers and other heavy equipment,” he alleged.

“What is our government doing about it? The PM must clear the air and condemn these brazen Chinese incursions,” he said.

Asking why the PM does not openly and publicly condemn the “brazen acts of infiltrations, incursions and occupation” of Indian territory by China, he said, “I want the PM to publicly condemn China. We will support the prime minister.”

Sibal further said that the situation is such that the PM'S statement that nobody intruded into India is being used by the Chinese globally.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would assure the country that China would vacate Indian territory and restore status quo ante at the border, if the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation returned Rs 20 lakh it had taken as donation earlier.

Taking on BJP president J P Nadda on the charges made against the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), Chidambaram accused him of speaking “halftruths” and asked him to “come to terms with reality” and not live in the past.

He also asked the BJP president to answer the questions raised by the Congress on the Chinese intrusion into the Indian territory.

“Suppose RGF returns the Rs 20 lakh, will PM Modi assure the country that China will vacate its transgression and restore status quo ante,” he asked on Twitter.

“Mr Nadda, come to terms with reality, don't live in the past that is distorted by your half-truths. Please answer our questions on Chinese intrusion into Indian territory,” Chidambaram said in another tweet.

Nadda had alleged that the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) had donated money to the “familyrun” RGF when the Congressled UPA was in power, claiming that it was a “brazen fraud” and big betrayal of the people of the country. The BJP chief had targeted the Congress and the Gandhi family on Thursday for the RGF allegedly accepting donations from the Chinese embassy.