"Silence is Deafening": Congress Slams Centre Over China Face-offs
Congress MP Jebi Mather and Jairam Ramesh slam the Centre's silence on reported Indian and Chinese force face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Congress party has launched a scathing attack on the Central government, questioning the "deafening silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding reported face-offs between Indian and Chinese forces in Arunachal Pradesh. The controversy erupted after revelations from the Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) suggested that tensions had been simmering on the border for months.
Jebi Mather Questions Government Transparency
Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Jebi Mather expressed deep concern over the timeline of these events. She highlighted that the Director General of the ITBP had revealed that such face-offs had been occurring since July. With the nation only learning about these incidents in October, Mather questioned why the top leadership of the country had remained silent.
While Mather was quick to praise the bravery and diligence of the ITBP for successfully carrying out their duties and thwarting attempts by the opposing forces, she pointed out a significant gap in communication from the government.
"The ITBP Director General has made a very strong revelation... but the fact is he is saying this has been happening since July, which means we are in October and now it took for the nation to know about this when an ITBP Director General revealed it. We have not heard anything about this from our Prime Minister. We have not heard anything about this from our Home Minister," Mather stated.
Jairam Ramesh Alleges "Calibrated Concessions"
Adding to the pressure, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to social media to accuse the Modi administration of making "calibrated concessions" to China. Ramesh alleged that India has lost critical patrolling points in Arunachal Pradesh, a claim he suggests the government is trying to hide from the public.
In a post on X, Ramesh lauded the performance of the ITBP during their recent encounters with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) but criticized the political establishment for its lack of transparency.
Broader Security Concerns
Beyond the immediate face-offs, Jairam Ramesh raised several other red flags regarding China's activities in the region, including:
- Renaming of Locations: Concerns over China's practice of renaming places within Arunachal Pradesh.
- Infrastructure Threats: The construction of a massive 60,000-MW dam by China, which Ramesh claims poses a severe threat to India's water and ecological security.
The Congress party continues to demand clarity on the current status of the border and an explanation for why the Prime Minister's office has not addressed these ongoing tensions with the PLA.