Sushma lashes out at Rahul Gandhi over meeting Chinese Envoy
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj slammed Rahul Gandhi for recently meeting with the Chinese ambassador amid the Doklam standoff. Slyly taking a dig at Rahul, she wondered how the leader of the largest opposition party would go to the Chinese for updates on the situation, rather than the Indian government. Congress Party defended Rahul's move. Let's see what happened!
The mystery of Rahul Gandhi's meeting with the Chinese envoy
Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Doklam, situated in the India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction, with both sides urging each other to withdraw. Rahul Gandhi reportedly met with Chinese envoy Luo Zhaohui with sources from the Chinese embassy confirming it. Addressing queries, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, accused the MEA and IB of planting 'fake news'.
Opposition should have come to us for answers: Swaraj
Swaraj noted how she wished the opposition had gone to the government, referring to an instance when a special session of the Parliament on the India-China war in 1962 was convened, on the basis of a letter from AB Vajpayee. She further added that the government had answered all questions from the opposition through an exhaustive brief handed out to various party leaders.
What's happening with our foreign policy? Opposition wonders
While Swaraj slammed Rahul, opposition did not hesitate to slam India's foreign policy which they said left 'India isolated in the neighbourhood'. Those including JD (U)'s Sharad Yadav and Samajwadi Party's Ramgopal Yadav expressed concerns on the viability of India's Pakistan policy and growing Chinese influence respectively. A majority of them further demanded details on over 65 foreign visits undertaken by PM Modi.
Sushma Swaraj rebuts oppositions concerns on foreign policy
Addressing the concerns on the direction of India-Pakistan relations, she said that 'talks will resume on the day Pakistan stops terror'. Addressing concerns on India's isolation in the neighbourhood, she replied that India had helped Maldives through a water crisis, was at the forefront in providing flood and quake relief to Sri Lanka and Nepal respectively and is in excellent terms with Bangladesh.
Diplomacy, not war with China
While acknowledging that Chinese activity in Doklam was a concern, she allayed the opposition's concerns on China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean Region. She added that India will continue to engage with China to resolve the Doklam standoff and that war wasn't a solution.
