Congress to EAM: Why has Government not yet called Chinese envoy and issued Demarche?

Congress responded to external affairs minister S Jaishankar's statement on the border situation with China by asking him questions, including why the government had not yet called the Chinese ambassador and issued a demarche and why Indian troops conducted military exercises with Chinese troops at Russia's Vostok-22 exercise.

"The EAM claims that relations with China are 'not normal'. Then why have we never called the Chinese ambassador and issued a demarche, as we do with the Pakistan High Commissioner? Why is our trade dependence on China at a record high? Why did our troops conduct military exercises with Chinese troops at Russia's Vostok-22 exercise in September 2022?" asked Jairam Ramesh, All India Congress Committee's communication in-charge.

He said, "The EAM says that we will not let China change the status of the LAC (Line of Actual Control) unilaterally. Has the status quo not been altered by Chinese troops 18 km deep in Depsang for the last two years? Is it not altered by the fact that our troops are unable to access 1,000 sq km of territory in eastern Ladakh that they earlier patrolled? Is it not altered by the fact that we have agreed to buffer zones that prevent our patrols from going to areas they previously could go to? When will the EAM unequivocally declare that restoration of the pre-2020 status quo is our objective?"


Ramesh asked, Why did we withdraw from our advantageous position in the Kailash range without ensuring a full restoration of the pre-2020 status quo? Why have we not been more aggressive and made counter-intrusions?"

He said the Congress agreed with Jaishankar's remarks that "our jawans should be respected, honoured and appreciated", but asked whether "it this respect that led PM Modi to say" on June 19, 2020 that nobody had entered India's territory.