Rahul Gandhi was having soup with Chinese officials during Doklam incident: Anurag Thakur

Union Minister Thakur criticised Rahul Gandhi after he alleged on Friday that China is preparing for war and the Narendra Modi-led government is sleeping over it.

New Delhi, Dec 17: Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has slammed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his critical comments against the government over the India-China border stand-off

Thakur accused Gandhi of drinking soup when Chinese officials when India locked horns with China during Doklam standoff. "Rahul Gandhi was seen having soup with Chinese officials during the Doklam incident whereas the Indian Army was fighting with Chinese troops. When the Indian Army did surgical strikes, even then he questioned us. Rahul Gandhi and Congress don't have faith in our Army," a news agency quoted Thakur as saying.

On Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that China is preparing for war and the Narendra Modi-led government is sleeping over it while trying to ignore the threat. He then claimed that China has taken away 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory, killed 20 Indian soldiers and is "thrashing our jawans in Arunachal Pradesh".

"I can see the threat of China very clearly. I have been clear on this for the last two-three years, but the government is trying to hide it and ignore it. This threat can neither be hidden or ignored. Going by their full offensive preparation that is on in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, the Indian government is asleep," PTI quoted Gandhi as telling at a press conference.

"The government does not want to hear this but their (China's) preparation is on. The preparation is for war. It is not for incursion, but for war. If you look at their weapon pattern, what they are doing - they are preparing for war. Our government hides this and is not able to accept it," the former Congress chief said.

Gandhi further stated that the country is facing the situation because the BJP government does event-based work and does not work strategically.

"They think in terms of event management but where geostrategy is involved, event-based action does not work, power works there. I have said three-four times that we should be careful and understand what is happening. They keep making statements, I see the external affairs minister keeps making remarks, I should not say it, but he should deepen his understanding," Gandhi said.