The Congress on Sunday slammed the Modi Government on the issue of China reportedly refusing to pull back its troops from Hot Springs, Gogra and the Indian territory at Depsang plains during the last round of Corps Commander-level talks held on April 9.In a statement, Ajay Maken, General Secretary, AICC accused the Modi govt of surrendering India’s strategic interests to China and compromising national security.

“Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the floor of the Parliament on 13th February 2021, had stated that “remaining friction points, including the strategic Depsang Plains, would be taken up for discussion in the next round of military talks, within 24 hour”. China is ‘reported’ to have gone back on its assurances and reportedly asserted that ‘India should be happy of what it has achieved’. This is nothing, but, an attack on India’s territorial integrity,” Maken said

“Based on the statement made by the Defence Ministry dated 12th February, the Congress party had asked several key questions to the Modi Government, strongly underlining ‘Operation Cover-up’ by the BJP and its weak-kneed leadership that India doesn’t deserve. Media reports now reveal that at Patrolling Point 15 and Patrolling Point-17A in Hot Springs and Gogra Post, the Chinese PLA is ‘much inside the Indian territory’,” he said.

“Why has the Modi Government relinquished India’s national interests and let down our armed forces?” Maken questioned.He posed the following questions to the Modi government and demanded that it tell the truth to the people of India:

1. If Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had categorically mentioned in Parliament that India has not ceded any territory to China, why has the issue regarding Hot Springs, Gogra Posts and Depsang Plains not been resolved in the last military level talks?

Why have the disengagement talks as promised by the Defence Minister on “remaining friction points” (sic) not yielded any results for India?2. Is it not a fact that Modi Government’s decision to withdraw our troops from PP-14 in Galwan Valley and subsequent creation of buffer territory in that area has landed India in a disadvantageous position to the benefit of China in Hot Springs, Gogra Posts and Depsang Plains?

3. Paragraph 8 of Defence Ministry’s statement dated 12th February had described Gogra Posts & Hot Springs as ‘Outstanding Problems’, while in reality ‘Gogra & Hot Springs’ is India’s territory. Do the fresh revelations now not cement the charge that Modi Government has virtually given up our claims on these strategic points?

4. One of the most strategic and provocative incursions into the Indian territory by Chinese is in ‘Depsang Plains’. Chinese have occupied our territory 18 kilometers inside the LAC upto Y-Junction (bottleneck). This has also jeopardized one of the most important and strategically placed air strips i.e. DBO Air Strip (DBO-Daulat Beg Oldi). Why has Modi Government given up India’s claims on the Depsang Plains, in the recently concluded talks?

5. In February, Modi Government had agreed to withdraw Indian Armed Forces from dominant positions in ‘Kailash Ranges’ (Southern Bank, Pangong Tso Lake Area), where the Chinese are at a disadvantage, without any quid pro quo by China. Why has Modi Government committed this unpardonable compromise with our national security vis-a-vis our dominant positions in Kailash Ranges?

The country is seeking answers as to when will the Modi Government take action to restore 'Status Quo Ante' as on April 2020, especially in Galwan Valley, PangongTso Lake, Depsang Plains, Gogra and Hot Springs.

6. Is it also not true that now China is recruiting Tibetans in the PLA? This is another security threat, which the Modi Govt has seemingly ignored. Why did the Modi Govt shelve the ‘Mountain Strike Corps’ implemented by the Congress-UPA Govt along the China border with 90,274 additional soldiers at a cost of Rs 64,678 crore?

7. PM Modi has in the past claimed that ‘no one entered our territory’ and had given a clean chit to China, by refusing to name it, even though 20 Indian soldiers were martyred in the Galwan valley. Has this not emboldened China to arm-twist India and lowered the morale of our armed forces?

“While at the moment India is engaged in an internal battle of worst kind in fighting COVID-19 due to BJP government’s apathy and ill preparedness, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left the country vulnerable on yet another front by severely surrendering our interests on international borders,” Maken said.

“How does the Modi Government plan to ensure the status quo ante as on April 2020? After the failure of the military talks with China and compromising our territorial integrity, what plan does the Modi Government have to take back our territory from China? PM Modi must answer,” he said.