Sonia, Rahul ask PM to speak up, take nation into confidence

Taking on PM Modi over the issue of Sino-India standoff in Ladakh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Friday asked him to speak up on the issue and take the nation into confidence on the situation at the border.

While Sonia Gandhi said the Centre cannot shirk its responsibility of securing India's borders with China, her son Rahul Gandhi said the prime minister’s “denial will benefit China” and asked Modi to tell the country the truth about whether China has occupied any Indian territory.

In a video message put out as part of the Congress’s campaign to honour the Army personnel who sacrificed their lives in Ladakh, the Congress chief asked why were the country's soldiers martyred when China has not captured any Indian territory, as claimed by the prime minister.

“Today when there is a crisis-like situation at the IndiaChina border, the Centre cannot shirk its responsibility (of securing them),” she said in a video message as part of the party's ‘Speak Up For Our Jawans’ campaign.

“The country wants to know that if China has not captured our land in Ladakh, as claimed by the prime minister, then why were our 20 soldiers martyred,” Sonia Gandhi asked.

She said while the PM says there is no intrusion into Indian territory, “experts after seeing satellite images talk of the presence of Chinese troops in our territory confirming the intrusions.”

“When and how will the Modi government take back from China our land in Ladakh? Is our territorial integrity being violated by China in Ladakh? Will the PM take the nation into confidence on the situation at the border?” Gandhi asked.

She said the govt must give full support and strength to the Army, and asserted, “this will be true patriotism.”

In his video message, Rahul

Gandhi said if the PM says no Indian territory has been occupied by China, while satellite images show otherwise, then China stands to benefit from his statement.

Noting the entire country is standing behind the PM, the former Congress chief said, “We have to together fight China and throw them out.”

“Prime Ministerji, speak up and do not be scared. You will have to tell the truth to the country. Don’t be scared to say that “yes, China has taken our land and we are going to act against them. The whole country is with you,” he said.

In an alarming threat to our national security and territorial integrity, China has now occupied our territory up to 18 km inside the LAC, in the Depsang plains, up to the Y-Junction or the bottleneck, as per multiple reports. The Chinese forces are now 7 km short of the Ladakhi town of Burtse, on the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie Road. Reports also suggest China has come as close as 25 km from the crucial airstrip of Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), that is within their artiller y range. — Pallam Raju, senior Congress leader and former MoS for Defence