Year ends, not Narendra Modi's silence on China, says Congress

The new law apparently seeks to legitimise China’s use of the civilian settlement along its disputed boundaries with India and Bhutan: Gourav Vallabh

Narendra Modi. : PTI Photo

TT Special Correspondent   |   New Delhi   |  01.01.22 : The Congress on Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s continued silence as China “renamed” 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh, describing the government’s inaction as a “compromise of national security”.

Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said: “China claims 90,000sqkm of areas in Arunachal Pradesh as part of its own territory and calls it Zangnan or South Tibet. China has renamed 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh. The 15 places of Arunachal Pradesh which were renamed include eight residential areas, four mountains, two rivers and a mountain pass in Arunachal Pradesh.”

Vallabh added: “Modi was silent, refusing to even name China once, when it grabbed our land in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and the Northeast. Why has China become so aggressive during the last few years? China introduced a new Land Border Law, which will come into force on January 1, 2022. The new law apparently seeks to legitimise China’s use of the civilian settlement along its disputed boundaries with India and Bhutan.”

Wondering if this was the government’s tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives while defending India’s territory, Vallabh said: “The Modi government fooled people by banning some Chinese apps while trade with China continued, crossing Rs 7 lakh crore in 2021. He hasn’t answered our questions the whole year but we hope he will reply now as the year comes to an end today.”