Congress demands statement from PM on Chinese incursions

New Delhi, Sep 22: Voicing concern over repeated incursions by China, Congress on Monday made a scathing attack on Narendra Modi government, demanding that the Prime Minister give a statement and lodge a "real strong protest" with Chinese President on the "unacceptable" development.

The party also demanded an "apology" from the Prime Minister alleging that an official of the Gujarat government, while signing three MoUs with a province of China here in the presence of Modi a few days back, had distributed a handout showing Arunachal Pradesh as a disputed territory.

"Now the question arises whether in the MoU too, has this particular map (showing Arunachal Pradesh as disputed territory) been shown. Modi during his election campaign in Arunachal Pradesh made rhetorical speech and promised that he will not allow the country to bow down and and will not allow even an inch of the country's land to go away.

"In this MoU, Arunachal Pradesh has been shown as a disputed territory. The Prime Minister should apologise for this major lapse and blunder," party general secretary Ajay Maken said on his blog. He was referring to a meeting on September 17 in New Delhi in which three MoUs were signed between the government of Gujarat and Gaundang province of China in presence of Modi during which the Additional Chief Secretary of the state D Pandian had distributed a handout showing map of Gaundong province.

Dubbing the "incursions, intrusions and infiltration" by China in the Indian territory as "brazen and blatant", party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said that such a scenario is "absolutely unacceptable" for the sovereignty, ethos and foreign policy of the country.

Accusing the government of "treating a very serious issue lightly", Singhvi rued that there is "no statement either from the Prime Minister or anybody else sufficiently senior and high in government hierarchy".

"We demand that the Prime Minister must make a proper statement on the issue and unequivocally and firmly write to the Chinese President a strongly worded letter, which should be made public," Singhvi said, asking Modi to "walk the talk".

PTI