Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 24: The Congress on Monday questioned the government’s approach to the India-China boundary dispute as National Security Advisor Ajit Doval arrived in Beijing for the latest round of Special Representatives’ talks.
Congress spokesperson and MP Pawan Khera said the mechanism, originally created to “resolve” the boundary issue, had gradually shifted towards merely managing the dispute.
“The Special Representative mechanism created during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure was meant for border resolution. Notice the word carefully: 'resolution'. But over time, it has been reduced to border management — not solving the dispute, but merely managing it,” Khera said.
He also criticised the government’s handling of the 2020 India-China military standoff and referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement of June 19, 2020.
“Secondly, following the Prime Minister's statement on June 19, 2020, claiming no one entered our territory, we effectively projected to China and the world that their troops had not crossed over, implying our soldiers went into their area, leading to the Galwan martyrdom,” he said.
Taking another swipe at the government’s border policy, Khera said, “You bowed down on Ladakh, turned resolution into management; there's one more addition: the situation in Arunachal, by hoisting flag at district headquarters, they are showing China has not entered.”
Meanwhile, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, BJP MLA Ram Kadam defended the government’s foreign policy and highlighted Prime Minister Modi’s efforts to strengthen India’s relations with countries across the world.
“Over the past 12 years, the Prime Minister has visited countries around the world, including several nations that no Indian Prime Minister had visited for many years. He has consistently worked towards building good relations with all countries, and maintaining such relations is important,” Kadam said.
He further said India, which was the world’s 11th-largest economy in 2014, had become the fourth-largest and would soon become the third-largest.
“India’s image as a global leader, or ‘Vishwaguru,’ is gradually emerging,” he said.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Doval, India’s Special Representative on the India-China Boundary Question, arrived in Beijing on a two-day visit at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister and Politburo member Wang Yi.
Doval and Wang Yi, who is China’s Special Representative, will hold the 25th round of the Special Representatives’ Talks on the India-China Boundary Question on August 25.
During his visit, Doval will also call on Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.
The talks are expected to focus on the boundary question and efforts to maintain stability and peace along the India-China border.