Rahul talks of tensions with China in meeting with Bihar leaders, lauds Bihar Regiment

By Siddharth Sharma
New Delhi [India], Aug 6 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday referred to border tensions with China at a meeting with party leaders in Bihar and paid tributes to personnel of Bihar Regiment for their supreme sacrifice in the standoff with Chinese forces in Ladakh's Galwan Valley in June.
During a meeting through video conferencing with party leaders and workers of Bihar to review preparations for assembly polls, Gandhi accused Nitish Kumar government of "failing to handle" coronavirus and flood situation in the state.
AICC Bihar Incharge Shakti Singh Gohil said Gandhi told the meeting that the territorial integrity of India and country's foreign policy were above party and partisan politics.
A Congress release said that Gandhi paid "glowing tributes to the valiant personnel of the Bihar Regiment for their supreme sacrifice in the standoff with Chinese forces in Ladakh".
Gandhi said that the situation at the border with China was "worrisome for the nation".
He said integrity and security of the country was of prime concern to him right since the beginning of "this unprecedented Chinese offensive in Ladakh".
Gandhi exhorted the party workers to go into the forthcoming Bihar elections with a positive agenda of providing good governance to the people who were "suffering tremendously due to the unchecked spread of coronavirus on one hand and devastating floods on the other".
He pointed out that there was a time when Bihar held a place of pride nationally but "utter disregard of governance and disregard of people-centric policies had led to a situation when the state and its people had been forced into extreme sufferings".
The former Congress chief said the people were looking forward to positive change, "something that the Congress Party could provide".
"Failed promises of preventing floods by making dams, ensuring prosperity for people through economic packages that addressed the needs of 'dawai', 'padhai' and 'kamai' by PM Modi during the last elections had all proven to be mere rhetoric and a blueprint of positive governance agenda by the Congress Party could provide a viable alternative to the people of Bihar," he said.
AICC General Secretary In-charge for organization KC Venugopal, Bihar Congress chief Madan Mohan Jha, CLP Leader Sadanand Singh, former Governor Nikhil Singh, former union minister Akhilesh Singh, Tariq Anwar and Shatrughan Sinha were prominent among those who were present in the meeting.
The release said that the meeting was attended by 1,000 persons including those from block Congress committees.
It said the meeting turned into a virtual rally with over one lakh people joining in through various social media platforms.
Sources said that Gandhi has conveyed to Venugopal that coalition should be formed in Bihar "in a respectful manner".