Centre must make trade policies with China public, says petition in SC

NEWDELHI: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to make public its trade policies with China amid the bitter standoff between the two armies at multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last seven weeks. The Indian and the Chinese armies are engaged in a standoff in various areas in eastern Ladakh and the tension escalated after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details.

Following the Galwan Valley incident, the government has given the armed forces “full freedom” to give a “befitting” response to any Chinese misadventure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the 3,500-km de-facto border.

The petition has referred to media reports and alleged that a state and a private firm had signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) for business with China-based firms.

The plea filed by Jammu-based lawyer Supriya Pandita has said that after the June 15 incident at the LAC, the citizens and trade associations in India are calling for boycott of Chinese goods in the country. It said on June 29, the government banned 59 Chinese mobile app citing threat to India’s security.

“While the ban on these mobile apps may be a welcome step but on the other hand allowing few select business house or few select state government to enter in to MOU with Chinese business house or stakeholders from China sends a wrong message to the people of India,” said the plea, filed through advocates Om Prakash Parihar and Dushyant Tiwari.

It claimed that MoUs signed by the states or companies with Chinese government or firms for trade and business is against the Prime Minister’s call for ‘Atmanirbhar Bhara’ (self-reliant India).

THE PLEA CLAIMED THAT MOUS SIGNED BY THE STATES OR FIRMS WITH CHINESE GOVT OR FIRMS FOR BUSINESS IS AGAINST THE PM’S CALL FOR ‘ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT’