Sushma's statement on Doklam hides more than it reveals: Congress
New Delhi, Aug 1 : The Congress on Wednesday said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swarajs remarks in the Lok Sabha about status quo on Doklam was "a dubious ploy" to make headlines and it "hides more than it reveals."
In a statement, Congress communications incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala said the "denials, half-truths and doublespeak" on Doklam were endangering India's national security and strategic interests.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make a statement in Parliament placing all facts and tell his government's policy on de-militarising the Doklam plateau.
The Congress leader said Sushma Swaraj's statement on Doklam is covered with a "sheet of misleading opaqueness" and fails to provide the larger picture of Chinese presence in South Doklam.
Surjewala said China was staring at the "Siliguri Corridor - the Gateway to India's northeast" -- and Modi government was almost "ducking the Doklam question."
Sushma Swaraj had said that there has been no change in the status quo at the site of the military face-off with China in Doklam and the issue was resolved with diplomatic maturity in August last year.
"Modi government and Sushma Swaraj were conspicuously silent on the Chinese military buildup and new road construction in the south Doklam region, overlooking the Siliguri corridor," Surjewala said.
Surjewala said Modi had met Chinese President Xi Jinping thrice during the last four months but there is "no conclusive reaction" from his government to the reports about the Chinese military build-up in the region.
He said no word on Doklam emanated during visits of Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to China in April this year.
"Sushma Swaraj's vacuous statement on Doklam in Parliament today speaks volumes about the Modi government's uncertain foreign policy and continuous flip-flops to the Chinese misadventure in Doklam which is harming India's strategic interests," he said.
Surjewala said that External Affairs Ministry statement of August 28 last year had said that both India and China have agreed on "expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site at Doklam" but the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement had said that the "it shall continue to patrol the Doklam area through its Armed Forces".
The Congress leader said that the party had pointed to heavy Chinese military presence in Doklam in January this year based on satellite images, the External Affairs Ministry had issued a vague statement that initially denied the Chinese military presence in the region.
He said media reports and satellite imagery had suggested that the Chinese Army has not only built a full-fledged Chinese Military Complex in Doklam but also occupied the entire Doklam plateau right upto 10m from Indian Army post.
The images had shown concrete posts, seven helipads, new trenches and several dozen armoured vehicles close to the point where the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops were locked in a 73-day confrontation last year, he said.
Surjewala said Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the veracity of these satellite images and Sitharaman had belatedly accepted in parliament that PLA had "constructed sentry posts, trenches and helipads in Doklam area to maintain troops during winter".
He also referred to visit of Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou to Bhutan in July and said he had discussed Doklam issue.
Sushma Swaraj had told the Lok Sabha that there was dispute between China and Bhutan about north Doklam and it was for not India to comment.
"The BJP is utterly consumed in managing headlines for domestic expansion and has completely forgotten the Chinese presence in north and south Doklam," he said.
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Cong cites Kangana's purported remarks to accuse BJP of wanting to bring back repealed farm laws
New Delhi, Sep 24: The Congress on Tuesday cited BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's purported remarks on farm laws to allege that the ruling party was making efforts to bring back the three laws that were repealed in 2021, and asserted that Haryana will give a befitting reply to it.
The Congress shared on X an undated video of Ranaut in which she is purportedly saying in Hindi, "Farm laws that have been repealed should be brought back. I think this may get controversial. The laws in farmers' interest be brought back. Farmers should themselves demand this (to bring farm laws back) so that there is no hindrance to their prosperity.
"Farmers are a pillar of strength in India's progress. Only in some states, they had objected to farm laws. I appeal with folded hands that farm laws should be brought back in the interest of farmers."
In a post in Hindi along with the video, the Congress said, "The three black laws imposed on farmers should be brought back: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has said this. More than 750 farmers of the country were martyred, only then did the Modi government wake up and these black laws were withdrawn."
Now BJP MPs are planning to bring back these laws, the Congress alleged.
"The Congress is with the farmers. These black laws will never return, no matter how hard Narendra Modi and his MPs try," the opposition party said on X.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also shared the video of Ranaut on X and said, "'All three farm laws should be brought back': BJP MP Kangana Ranaut. More than 750 farmers were martyred while protesting against the three black farmer laws. Efforts are being made to bring them back."
"We will never let that happen. Haryana will answer first," she said in an apparent reference to the assembly polls in Haryana.
Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also shared the video on X and said it was the BJP's "real thinking".
"How many times will you deceive the farmers, you two-faced people?" Khera said in a post in Hindi.
The three laws -- Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act -- were repealed in November 2021.
The farmers' protest started at the fag-end of November 2020 and ended after Parliament repealed the three laws. The legislations came into force in June 2020 and were repealed in November 2021.
“तीनों किसान क़ानून वापस लाये जाने चाहिए” : BJP MP कंगना रनौत
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) September 24, 2024
जिन तीन काले किसान विरोधी क़ानूनों की मुख़ालिफ़त करते 750 से ज़्यादा किसान शहीद हो गए
उनको दोबारा से लाने की कोशिश की जा रही है. हम ऐसा कभी नहीं होने देंगे
सबसे पहला जवाब हरियाणा देगा pic.twitter.com/kRAkRuE2cc
