Jaipur, Jul 8 (IANS): Addressing a webinar on 'India and China relations in present scenario', Union Minister of State V.K. Singh said that the opposition parties have been making propaganda out of it, giving an impression that they have been bought by China.

In a Facebook live session, the minister said, "The relationship between India and China is around 2,500 years old and the movement of intellectuals, students and researchers started from 618 AD."

He said that Chinese travellers continued to visit India via Ladakh.

"We do not have any enmity with China, but by distorting the historical facts, China has been doing activities to occupy the land of other countries. China first captured Siyang in 1949, then claimed Tibet in 1950 and began building a road through Aksai Chin to connect Siyang and Tibet. In this way, China agitates and creates pressure by promoting border disputes on the lands of the surrounding countries and due to this pressure policy, they start their activities there."

Singh further said that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister was anxious about the Panchsheel agreement with China and hoped that this agreement would resolve all border disputes, but on the contrary, China did not desist from its foul activities and constantly promoted land disputes along the border.

He said that the Panchsheel agreement caused damage as China conspired to conquer Tibet, and the dispute continues to this day.

"Since 1959, China has been promoting the issue of the claim line along the border to which the Indian Army has responded in all respects. In fact, in 1962 also, our Army gave a befitting reply to China at Nathula Pass. China always acts with wrong claims on the border and pressurises the neighbouring countries on LAC," he said.

Now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a free hand to the Army to take action and as a diplomatic strategy, we put pressure on China due to which it had to retreat from Galwan Valley which sent a positive message all over the world, Singh added.

Targeting the opposition parties including the Congress, Singh said that the opposition parties are propagating the India-China case in such a way as if China has bought the opposition parties.

State BJP president Satish Poonia said that Union Minister Singh shared the current situation on India-China case apprising us with the right facts.

In 1962, during the time of Pandit Nehru, the slogan of 'Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai' was given, however, in return we got cheated, but now under the efficient and strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the first time, China has got a strong answer and now with a special emphasis on adopting indigenous products boycotting the use of Chinese goods, the slogan now has been converted into 'Hindi Chini bye bye'.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who was also present in the webinar, said General V.K. Singh's address helped us appraise of significant historical facts.