The Congress on Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on China voicing concern over Kashmir violence and said it is due to the “lack of maturity” in the government’s foreign policy
The Congress on Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on China voicing concern over Kashmir violence and said it is due to the “lack of maturity” in the government’s foreign policy that led to Beijing’s “direct” interference in India’s internal affairs.
Congress spokesperson Kapil Sibal said it was expected of the PM or the external affairs minister to make a statement on the floor of the House expressing concern over China’s remarks that did not happen, but hoped they would do so on Monday when the Opposition raises the issue in Parliament.
“For the first time in India’s post-independence history, China has commented on the conflict in J&K. This is a direct interference in the domestic affairs of India and what is surprising is that the Government of India has taken no note of it. This is very serious and this is the result of a lack of maturity in our foreign policy,” he told reporters.
Mr Sibal said it has been reported that a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry had on July 19 said, “China has taken note of the relevant reports in Jammu and Kashmir. We are concerned about the casualties in the clash. We hope that it will be handled properly.”
The PM should have expressed both concern and response to Chinese government. But neither the Prime Minister nor the foreign minister expressed concern over the remarks, he said, wondering why the Prime Minister has not making a statement on it in Parliament. The PM should have expressed both concern and response to Chinese government, telling them that “they should not fish in troubled waters and that they have no locus standi to comment on the internal affairs of India”.
Mr Sibal said when Dr Manmohan Singh was prime minister, “we kept a very delicate balance between our relationship with the United States and with China and considered both of them as partners in the progress of this region.”
“The present Prime Minister has not handled the situation with any sense of maturity,” he alleged.
The opposition would raise the issue in parliament on Monday and expect the PM to respond to it . “I am sure that parliament will unanimously express concern over the statement but we don’t expect the Prime Minister and the Foreign Ministry to keep quiet for two days on a matter,” he said.
Mr Sibal also said that after 100 tanks were deployed by India in the Ladakh region, China reacted, saying investment in India cannot come at a time when normal political ties are not there, even as it referred to ‘Pakistan Occupied Kashmir’ as territory ‘administered by Pakistan’ for the first time.
He said Frontier Defence Regiment of People’s Liberation Army in Xinjiang along with Border Police Force from Pakistan will carry out a joint patrol along the China-Pakistan Border.
“Now they consider that as the China-Pakistan Border and not an administered territory of Pakistan. In a sense they have recognized (Pakistan’s claim over PoK),” he said.
