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NEW DELHI: Foreign minister S Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha on Monday that the government is not “indifferent” to China as was being alleged by the opposition members saying that the government had deployed the Army to the borders to deal with it and has publicly said that relations India and China are not “normal.”
The minister reacted sharply to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhury’s remarks that the government was “indifferent” towards China. “If we were indifferent to China then who sent the Indian Army to defend our posts? If we were indifferent to China then why are we pressurising China for de-escalation and disengagement? Why are we saying publicly that our relations are not normal,” Jaishankar said.
Choudhury used the debate on the Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill 2019, to bring up the issue of China in the House with the foreign minister present and even suggested that defence minister and foreign minister could be present in the House at the same time and clarify all the issues regarding Indo-China hostilities by replying to queries from the opposition benches.
Objecting to the use of the term “pitai” (beating) by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while referring to the India-China clash in Tawang Jaishankar asserted that our soldiers have stood their ground in Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh and should be “appreciated and honoured.”
There is no problem with political criticism of the government’s actions, Jaishankar said, but objected to “direct or indirect” criticism of the soldiers guarding the country’s frontiers.
His remarks during the debate on the Anti Maritime Piracy Bill 2019, were in response to Gandhi’s allegations in Jaipur last week that China had taken away 2,000 sq km of Indian territory, killed 20 Indian soldiers, and was “beating our jawans in Arunachal Pradesh.”
“The word ‘pitai’ (beating) should not be used for our jawans. Our jawans are standing their ground. They should be respected, they should be honoured, and they should be appreciated.
This is not something that is appropriate,” he said. There is no problem with political differences or criticism of the government’s action, “but, I think we should not directly or indirectly criticise our jawans. When our jawans are standing in Yangtse at 13,000 feet, defending our borders, they do not deserve the word ‘pitai’,” he said. “I have heard that my own understanding needs to be deepened. When I see who is giving the advice I can only bow and respect,” he said.
Jaishankar also reacted to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhury’s remark about the government going to town about India’s G-20 presidency, which he said was a rotational post. “This is a moment when the world is looking for Indian leadership. When the world values India’s leadership, those here should also do so… Just because something is rotational does not mean you are not valued,” he said, replying to Choudhury.
Chowdhury said that India’s Presidency of the G-20 was being “propagated in a manner to glamorise an individual and a government.”
“I don’t know the significance of this kind of propaganda… as a system of rotation we have been entrusted to host G-20,” Chowdhury said.
The minister reacted sharply to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhury’s remarks that the government was “indifferent” towards China. “If we were indifferent to China then who sent the Indian Army to defend our posts? If we were indifferent to China then why are we pressurising China for de-escalation and disengagement? Why are we saying publicly that our relations are not normal,” Jaishankar said.
Choudhury used the debate on the Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill 2019, to bring up the issue of China in the House with the foreign minister present and even suggested that defence minister and foreign minister could be present in the House at the same time and clarify all the issues regarding Indo-China hostilities by replying to queries from the opposition benches.
Objecting to the use of the term “pitai” (beating) by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while referring to the India-China clash in Tawang Jaishankar asserted that our soldiers have stood their ground in Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh and should be “appreciated and honoured.”
There is no problem with political criticism of the government’s actions, Jaishankar said, but objected to “direct or indirect” criticism of the soldiers guarding the country’s frontiers.
His remarks during the debate on the Anti Maritime Piracy Bill 2019, were in response to Gandhi’s allegations in Jaipur last week that China had taken away 2,000 sq km of Indian territory, killed 20 Indian soldiers, and was “beating our jawans in Arunachal Pradesh.”
“The word ‘pitai’ (beating) should not be used for our jawans. Our jawans are standing their ground. They should be respected, they should be honoured, and they should be appreciated.
This is not something that is appropriate,” he said. There is no problem with political differences or criticism of the government’s action, “but, I think we should not directly or indirectly criticise our jawans. When our jawans are standing in Yangtse at 13,000 feet, defending our borders, they do not deserve the word ‘pitai’,” he said. “I have heard that my own understanding needs to be deepened. When I see who is giving the advice I can only bow and respect,” he said.
Jaishankar also reacted to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhury’s remark about the government going to town about India’s G-20 presidency, which he said was a rotational post. “This is a moment when the world is looking for Indian leadership. When the world values India’s leadership, those here should also do so… Just because something is rotational does not mean you are not valued,” he said, replying to Choudhury.
Chowdhury said that India’s Presidency of the G-20 was being “propagated in a manner to glamorise an individual and a government.”
“I don’t know the significance of this kind of propaganda… as a system of rotation we have been entrusted to host G-20,” Chowdhury said.
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