'He shouldn't be taken seriously': Pralhad Joshi slams Rahul Gandhi's China remark
Dec 16, 2022
New Delhi [India], December 16 : Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi on Friday hit out at former Congress national president Rahul Gandhi over his remark flagging 'clear threats' from alleged Chinese incursions into Indian territory, accusing the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation of "taking money from China".
Speaking to ANI on Friday, the BJP MP said, "Rajiv Gandhi Foundation took money from China. It tantamounts to corruption."
He further claimed that India lost territory to China under its first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
"Lots of land and our permanent membership of the UN was lost to China because of the mistakes made by our first PM Jawaharlal Nehru. Rahul Gandhi should not be taken seriously," Joshi said.
Earlier on Friday, in an apparent reference to the recent faceoff between the Indian and Chinese troops in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, Rahul accused the Centre of 'sleeping' while China makes 'offensive preparations' across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
"There is a clear threat from China. The government is trying to hide it and ignore it. But the threat cannot be ignored or hidden. China is making an offensive preparation across the LAC, in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. The Union government is asleep. China is preparing for war, not incursions," he said at a press conference on Friday.
On Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh issued a statement in Parliament on the Tawang faceoff, saying that Chinese troops had attempted to transgress the LAC at Yangtse in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh in a bid to "unilaterally change the status quo", but were given a "firm and resolute response" from the Indian soldiers, eventually forcing them to retreat to their positions.
Singh said the face-off led to a physical scuffle, resulting in minor injuries to a few personnel on either side but "there were no fatalities or casualties" on the Indian side.
He added, "Our forces are committed to protecting our territorial integrity and will continue to thwart any attempt alter the status quo on the LAC."
