PM Modi should withdraw his statement in all-party meet over China, says Ashok Gehlot

JAIPUR: Accusing PM Narendra Modi of committing a ‘blunder’ in the all-party meet over China, chief minister Ashok Gehlot said Modi’s statement that neither China came to our land nor it had annexed our territory has knowingly or unknowingly given a certificate to the neighbouring nation of what it wanted (claim over the land).
“The statement, which was not required, was welcomed by the Chinese media and its government.The Congress party demands that Modi should withdraw his statement,” he said.
At a press conference held on Sunday by all Congress-ruled states, Gehlot reminded Modi of his relationship with China to take on the BJP’s repeated allegations of Gandhi family’s proximity with China.
“Modiji visited China five times when he was the CM of Gujarat and four times as PM since 2014. He met Chinese premier for around 18 times in the last six years. China ke president ke sath mein jhule bhi jhule the, apko yaad hai Ahmedabad mein (Modi sat on a traditional swing with Chinese president Xi Jinping in Ahmedabad, do you remember). The time when he was swinging with his Chinese counterpart, our soldiers were facing the skirmish with Chinese troops on the border. Modiji should have understood the intention of China then,” he added.
Calling Modi to take the entire country into confidence over the China intrusion, Gehlot put forward a series of questions for him. “It is the right of citizens to know how many soldiers have attained martyrdom? What is the actual status of the Line of Actual Control (LAC)? How many Chinese soldiers were killed? The incident took place on June 14 or 15? How much Indian land has been under Chinese control? Even the nation didn’t know whether any construction activity is happening or not. The questions I have asked is the right of every Indian to know,” said Gehlot.
Taking on another allegation levelled by the BJP of holding the Congress responsible for the failure in the war with China in 1962, Gehlot said you are aware of the situation of the country in 1962. “Neither we had weapons, guns or tanks. Our brave soldiers had shown exemplary courage. Do you know the battle in 1967 with China in which our soldiers killed 400 Chinese troops and 40 Indian soldiers martyred. Since then, India has become a superpower equipped with modern weapons, nuclear power, missiles, modern tanks like Bofors which was used to defame the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi,” said Gehlot.