Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approach to the India-China border dispute, alleging that PM Modi’s handling of the situation has allowed Chinese troops to occupy approximately 4,000 square kilometers of territory in Ladakh.
Gandhi made these comments on Tuesday during a media session at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, where he is currently on a three-day visit.
Rahul Gandhi’s Critique Of PM Modi’s Border Management
When questioned about the effectiveness of India’s management of the China challenge under PM Modi’s leadership, Gandhi responded, “If you call having Chinese troops in 4,000 square kilometres of our territory handling something well, then maybe we have got Chinese troops occupying land the size of Delhi in Ladakh. I think that’s a disaster.”
Gandhi drew a parallel to the United States, asking rhetorically how Americans would respond if a neighboring country occupied a similar amount of their land.
“How would America react if a neighbour occupied 4000 square kilometres of your territory? Would any president be able to get away with saying that he’s handled that well? So I don’t think PM Modi handled China well at all. I think there’s no reason Chinese troops should be sitting in our territory,” he further added.
Call For Stronger Indo-US Collaboration
In his address, Gandhi also highlighted the necessity for a robust Indo-US partnership to counter China’s influence globally.
He criticized China’s approach as promoting a non-democratic vision for production and prosperity and called for a democratic alternative.
Rahul Gandhi further emphasized the importance of presenting a democratic model of manufacturing and production to the world, leveraging the strengths of both nations.
“What is our response? Are we simply going to just sit there and say, okay, China can be the producer of the world and we’re not going to do anything? Or do we have a response? What is our response to the Belt and Road, right?” Rahul Gandhi stated.
He asserted, “I don’t see one. So to me, that’s really where US and India cooperation needs to go. How can we provide a democratic vision of production, of manufacturing that actually works to the rest of the world? And I think both countries bring different things to the table, and I think there’s a huge opportunity there.”
Gandhi’s comments reflect ongoing tensions between India and China and underscore his call for a strategic partnership with the US to address global challenges and provide alternatives to China’s growing influence.
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