In Ladakh, Rahul Gandhi Accuses PM Modi of Misleading on India-China Border Issue

Kargil, August 25, 2023: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during a rally in Kargil, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of providing false information to the Opposition regarding the India-China border situation in Ladakh. Gandhi reiterated that China has encroached upon Indian territory.

Gandhi’s comments come on the final day of his nine-day visit to Ladakh, where he addressed a public meeting. He stated, “China has taken Indian land… thousands of square km… and ironically Indian Prime Minister said at a meeting with the Opposition that not an inch of Indian land was taken.”

He referred to Prime Minister Modi’s statement in June 2020, following a clash between Indian Army soldiers and China’s People’s Liberation Army in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, where Modi had assured that no intrusion had occurred. Gandhi contested this assertion, saying, “Here, every person knows that Ladakh’s land has been taken over by China but the Prime Minister is not telling the truth.”

Gandhi’s comments followed discussions between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they expressed intentions to de-escalate border tensions. However, Gandhi’s accusation stems from his belief that China’s acquisition of Indian territory remains undisclosed.

The Congress leader’s remarks were met with a response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi dismissing Gandhi’s statements as baseless and aimed at weakening the country.

During his address, Gandhi also touched upon Ladakh’s demands for statehood, the implementation of the Constitution’s sixth schedule for tribal areas’ autonomous administration, and representation in Lok Sabha. He assured support to the locals in their struggle for safeguarding their land, culture, languages, and employment opportunities.

Gandhi highlighted unemployment and inadequate cellphone network coverage as key issues in Ladakh. He pledged Congress support for protecting Ladakh’s resources, emphasizing that the region’s benefits should not be exploited solely for large projects.