For Modi standoff was event, Chinese still in Doklam: Rahul
London, Aug 24 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he views the Doklam issue as an event and added that Chinese presence is still there.
Gandhi was speaking at an event in London in the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS).
"I don't have the details of Doklam, so I can't answer how I would've handled it differently. What I can tell you is that Doklam is not an unrelated episode, it's not a one off, it is not a border issue, it is a strategic issue.
"It is a part of a sequence of events and Doklam was a crisis that happened because the government is episodic," he added.
Gandhi further said: "...the government and the PM view things very much from an event's perspective. I view Doklam as a process, a point in the process. The PM views Doklam as an event."
He said: "So I would look at the process and I would tackle the process and I am pretty confident that Doklam wouldn't have happened...because you could've stopped Doklam if you were carefully watching the process."
"The Chinese have withdrawn from the point of contact, they've withdrawn from where the altercation happened. (But) The truth is the Chinese are still in Doklam," he added.
Talking about what India can learn from China, Gandhi said: "Looking at the mobility in India, how do you transform air travel in India, how do open up the air space, that's one thing India can learn from China.
"The other thing India can learn from China is decentralisation. In China, local governments run the system. In India, the PMO runs the system," he added.
"Let me tell you, today the PMO and CMO have veto all the way down. They have no business having that power, that power should be with the local government," he added.
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US rules out use of nuclear weapons against Iran
Washington DC: The White House has reportedly ruled out the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, even as uncertainty continues over ongoing peace negotiations and a deadline set by US President Donald Trump approaches.
Issues bout a possible escalation had increased after US Vice President JD Vance said that the United States has “tools in our toolkit that we so far haven’t decided to use” in dealing with Iran.
His remarks came amid rising tensions and ahead of a deadline linked to peace efforts.
The situation has attracted attention as Trump warned Iran that its “whole civilization will die tonight tonight” if an agreement is not reached by Tuesday at 8 pm.
This statement led to speculation about the possibility of extreme military measures, including a nuclear strike.
Following Vance’s comments, the White House issued a clarification distancing itself from such interpretations. In a post on X, it said, "Literally nothing @VP said here 'implies' this, you absolute buffoons." In a later statement, it added that “only the president knows” what action will be taken regarding Iran.
Literally nothing @VP said here "implies" this, you absolute buffoons https://t.co/7JU3wXMaWX
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 7, 2026
