Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 13: The Congress on Sunday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, accusing the government of a “mismatch” between its stated position and its approach to bilateral ties with China.
Congress General Secretary and Communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh, in a detailed press note, accused the Modi government of “calibrated capitulation” before China and raised a series of questions over border issues, China’s alleged support to Pakistan and the widening trade deficit.
Ramesh referred to Modi’s remarks made on June 19, 2020, following the Galwan Valley clashes, when the Prime Minister had said that no one had entered Indian territory.
He questioned whether those remarks had weakened India’s negotiating position and alleged that India had subsequently given up traditional patrolling and grazing rights in parts of eastern Ladakh to China.
The Congress leader also raised concerns over what he described as China’s purported territorial advances in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.
“There have been reports of Chinese encroachment in Arunachal Pradesh, including loss of India’s access to patrolling points and fresh standoffs. China’s posture on Arunachal Pradesh has only hardened: renaming towns, reasserting claims to what it calls ‘South Tibet’, and pushing ahead with its 60,000-MW Medog mega-dam on the Brahmaputra’s Great Bend, a project that gives it a stranglehold over the water security of our entire northeast,” Ramesh claimed.
His remarks came a day after Modi told Xi that peace and tranquillity along the India-China frontier remained an “essential component” of building better relations between the two countries.
Ramesh also questioned what he described as a “softening of position” by the government on China’s alleged backing of Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
He asked whether the change was part of a strategy to alter the diplomatic atmosphere ahead of Xi’s visit to India.
“On July 4, 2025, Lt. General Rahul Singh, the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, had publicly spoken of the military establishment’s assessment of the deep and pivotal role of China in assisting Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. But all of a sudden, on August 25, 2026, the former Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan took a completely different position in a lecture at the VIF - with which the National Security Adviser has himself been closely associated,” Ramesh contended.
The Congress leader also criticised the government over India’s growing trade deficit with China.
“Why have you allowed the trade deficit with China to reach record levels? India’s trade deficit with China hit a record $112.6 billion in 2025/26, destroying large sections of our industry, especially MSMEs. The dependence on China for critical raw materials, manufacturing components and intermediates has reached dangerous levels,” he said.
Ramesh also sought clarity on the government’s roadmap to reduce India’s dependence on China and address what he termed an “unacceptable situation”.