'Indictment of PM's gullibility...': Congress questions truce with China
The Congress party on Wednesday posed six questions to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre over India's recent agreement with China to resolve the four-year-long standoff in eastern Ladakh. The opposition party called the development an "indictment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gullibility and naivete." In a statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh asked if Indian troops would get back access to patrolling points in Depsang and Demchok.
Congress questions PM Modi's trust in China
Ramesh also questioned if soldiers would be confined to Finger 3 in Pangong Tso, unlike earlier when they patrolled till Finger 8. He flagged concerns over access to traditional grazing grounds for Indian graziers. The Congress accused PM Modi of being too trusting of China, referring to his past bonhomie with Chinese leaders. Ramesh slammed Modi for allegedly giving China a "clean chit" soon after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, where 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives.
Government confirms disengagement process with China
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the disengagement process with China is complete. He said patrolling would return to pre-May 2020 conditions. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also confirmed an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). China's foreign ministry also confirmed reaching an agreement with India to end the standoff. Spokesperson Lin Jian highlighted ongoing communication through diplomatic and military channels but did not disclose specifics of the agreement.
Speculation surrounds potential Modi-Xi meeting at BRICS
Amid these developments, there is speculation about a possible bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. Both leaders are attending the summit but no meeting has been confirmed yet. The India-China border tensions have persisted since violent clashes in June 2020. The Galwan Valley incident marked a major escalation in their historically complex relationship.
