‘PM should speak on China’: Rahul Gandhi on new map that includes Arunachal
Describing the new Chinese map, which included Indian territories, as a “very serious issue,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said.
On Wednesday called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on China’s activities along the Indian border.
“The PM should say something on China,” he said.
The Congress leader also alleged that the Prime Minister lied while asserting that ‘not even an inch of Ladakh has been taken by China’.
“I have been saying for years that what the PM said, that not one inch of land was lost in Ladakh, is a lie. The entire Ladakh knows that China has transgressed. This map issue is very serious. They have taken away the land. PM should say something about it,” Rahul said.
China on Monday released its new edition of “standard map”, incorporating Arunachal Pradesh, the Aksai Chin region, Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea in it.
Responding to it, the central government lodged a strong protest with Beijing. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that these actions by China only “complicate the resolution” of the boundary question.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted that the neighbouring country has this ‘habit’ of releasing such maps and it “doesn’t change in anything”.
“China has put out maps with territories (that are) not theirs. (It is an) old habit. Just by putting out maps with parts of India… this doesn’t change in anything. Our government is very clear about what our territory is. Making absurd claims does not make other people’s territories yours,” Jaishankar told NDTV.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We have today lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the so-called 2023 “standard map” of China that lays claim to India’s territory. We reject these claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question.”
The new map has escalated bilateral tensions between the two nations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to attend the G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi next week.