Congress Questions Centre Over Reported Face-Offs with Chinese PLA in Arunachal Pradesh

PTI, Oct 23, 2026, New Delhi : The Congress on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the reported "face-offs" with the Chinese army in Arunachal Pradesh, asking him to take the nation and Parliament into confidence by making a comprehensive statement on the border situation.

The opposition party accused Modi of being a "coward" for not raising border issues with China during his meetings with the Chinese President and said India's interests cannot be allowed to be surrendered.

The party said the truth about China has come out in the open with ITBP Director General Shatrujeet Kapoor admitting that skirmishes with China continue at the border and that in the past few days a situation arose "where a face-off happened at several locations in Arunachal, and it still continues".

The Congress claimed that, owing to the PM's "clean chit" in 2020 after violence in eastern Ladakh, China felt emboldened in Arunachal Pradesh.

There was no immediate response from the government or the BJP to the Congress's claims and allegations.

In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Enough clean chits to China. PM Modi must come clean before India!"

He said India's armed forces had the complete confidence of the people, "but national security demands accountability, not diplomatic photo opportunities and Hugplomacy!"

"Instead of attacking the Opposition, PM Modi must take Parliament and the Nation into confidence," Kharge said, posing a set of three questions on national security, economic policy and diplomatic accountability.

Noting that the ITBP DG's confirmation of continuing face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh was "deeply alarming", he asked whether another serious confrontation was unfolding after Doklam and Galwan.

"Reports of Chinese incursions near Taksing emerged in August. Yet, even 47 days after Corps Commander-level talks at Wacha Damai, reportedly just 180 km away, confrontations continue. Has India's patrolling access been compromised? Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India. Why is the nation being kept in the dark?" he asked, questioning whether India's pre-May 2020 patrolling rights had been fully restored.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said there had been a "deafening silence" on China from the PM and his establishment.

"While the self-styled Vishwaguru's calibrated concessions to China continue, the DG, ITBP, has lauded — and rightly so — its performance in recent face-offs with the PLA in Arunachal Pradesh, on which there has been a deafening silence from the PM and his establishment," Ramesh said on X.

"India has been paying the price for the PM's infamous clean chit to China on June 19, 2020, when he said, after 20 of our brave jawans had been martyred: 'Na koi wahan humari seema mein ghus aaya hai aur na hi koi ghusa hua hai, na hi humari koi post kisi doosre ke kabze mein hai'," Ramesh said.