Rahul Gandhi wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk Doklam
Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday began talks at an unprecedented two-day informal summit in Wuhan city in central China.
New Delhi: The Congress on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether he will remember his innate duty of protecting India’s strategic interests by raising the Doklam issue with China that impacts national security.
Taking to Twitter, Congress president Rahul Gandhi described the visit of the Prime Minister as having “no agenda” and mocked Mr Modi, saying, “You look tense” on the visit.
However, extending his party’s support for the summit, he told the Prime Minister that India wants to hear him talk in China about two crucial issues — the Doklam standoff with Chinese troops last year and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“Dear PM, Saw the live TV feed of your ‘No Agenda’ China visit. You look tense! A quick reminder: 1. DOKLAM 2. China Pakistan Economic Corridor passes through POK. That’s Indian territory. India wants to hear you talk about these crucial issues. You have our support,” Mr Gandhi said in a tweet.
Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala also took a dig at the Prime Minister, saying that Mr Modi may not be able to show “red eyes” as he “loftily promised”, but will he show the courage and conviction to do plain-speaking on Doklam and defend India’s interests.
Mr Surjewala said that India is facing an increasingly aggressive China which is trying to intrude into the “chicken neck” — Siliguri corridor — by building a new road through south of Doklam, and wondered why is the Modi government “clueless and incapable” of sending a strong message to China.
Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a standoff in Doklam area last year. The face-off ended through negotiations after 72 days. The CPEC, a part of China’s ambitious development strategy of Belt and Road Initiative, runs through PoK and India opposes the controversial project.
Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday began talks at an unprecedented two-day informal summit in Wuhan city in central China. During the visit, the two leaders will have a series of one-on-one conversations on bilateral, global and regional issues.