Govt mismanaging border situation: Sonia at CWC

nNEW DELHI: Accusing the government of engaging in “denials, disinformation and diversions” on Chinese “intrusions” in Indian territory and mismanaging the matter, and alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on the issue stood in contradiction to the positions of the ministry of defence and external affairs, the Congress asked the government about steps being taken to ensure the restoration of status quo ante at the border.

At a virtual meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party also strongly critiqued the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic — and said it had “abandoned” its responsibilities and had not unveiled a “coherent strategy”, even as the infection curve was rising “exponentially”. The main national opposition also accused the government of “profiteering” by “fleecing” citizens with the repeated hikes in petrol and diesel prices.

The meeting, chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi, was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, all Congress chief ministers and senior leaders. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has rebutted the Congress’s criticism, and claimed that it was deriving “sadistic pleasure” from the India-china stand-off.

The issue of Rahul Gandhi’s return as the party president too came up in the meeting, with Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot saying it was time for him to take over, a suggestion endorsed by former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish

Rawat, said a person familiar with the meeting. However, no other CWC member spoke on the matter, the person said.

In her opening remarks, Sonia Gandhi said, “It is said ‘misfortunes do not come singly’. India has been hit by a terrible economic crisis, a pandemic of huge proportions and, now, by a fullblown crisis on the borders with China.”

The Congress president critiqued the PM for his statement on Friday that there was no (external) presence in Indian territory. The Prime Minister’s Office subsequently clarified that his remark pertained to the situation in the Galwan Valley, where 20 personnel of the Indian army were killed in clashed on June 15.

The BJP hit back at the Congress for deriving “sadistic pleasure” from the ongoing India-china stand-off. “India has not surrendered an inch of its land, but the Congress has surrendered it shame,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.

THE CONGRESS, IN A WORKING COMMITTEE MEETING, ALSO HIT OUT AT THE GOVT OVER ITS COVID-19 RESPONSE, HIKE IN FUEL PRICES