Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday lashed out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and sought an apology over his alleged remarks on Indian soldiers in the context of a vain attempt by Chinese troops to transgress the LAC (Line of Actual Control) at Yangtse in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh.
Adityanath also advised the Wayanad MP to desist from statements that insult the country’s soldiers globally.
Claiming that Rahul Gandhi’s remarks could act like fodder for anti-national elements, the UP chief minister advised the Congress leader to refrain from making such statements repeatedly that put the country in trouble.
“We want the Congress and Rahul Gandhi to apologise to the country’s soldiers as well as its people. He (Rahul) must refrain from statements that reflect India in poor light and put the country in trouble,” Adityanath said.
Adityanath’s statement comes a day after the Congress leader sparked controversy by saying “while China was preparing for war, the Indian government was busy hiding the truth on the India-China standoff at Arunachal Pradesh.”
The Congress leader reportedly went on to claim that the Indian soldiers were being thrashed by the Chinese as the government dithered during the December 9 clash.
Addressing the media on the completion of 100 days of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi said: “From what I make of the current situation, China is not simply preparing for a skirmish but a full-fledged war. Our government is ignoring the threat and trying to hide facts from us but won’t be able to for long.”
Describing Rahul’s statement as ‘childish and humiliating’, Adityanath said, “Such a statement is akin to insulting India and its brave soldiers globally. We condemn this statement. While everyone across the globe acknowledges how our brave soldiers foiled the acts of the infiltrators, Gandhi’s statement and viewpoint are unacceptable to any Indian.”
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He added, “Earlier too, during the Doklam standoff, he (Rahul) made a derogatory remark about Indian soldiers. That time too, when there was a tussle between the armies of India and China, he was exposed as he and his party were engaged in anti-India acts by meeting the Chinese ambassador.”
Earlier on Tuesday, defence minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament that Chinese troops 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 forcing the Chinese side to retreat.
In his statement in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Singh said the face-off led to a physical scuffle causing injuries to a few personnel on both sides but “there were no fatalities or serious casualties” to Indian soldiers.