Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of adopting “a policy of hiding and deflecting the truth” on China, his comments coming even as the Supreme Court rapped Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for saying that China had 2,000 sq km of Indian land.
“Since June 15, 2020, when our 20 brave soldiers were martyred in Galwan, several critical questions have been arising in the minds of every patriotic Indian,” Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, wrote in a post in Hindi on X (formerly Twitter).
“However, over the past five years, instead of answering these questions, the Modi government has adopted a policy of hiding and deflecting the truth—which we can call DDLJ: Deny, Distract, Lie, and Justify,” he added.
He listed eight questions at the Modi government.
“1. On June 19, 2020, just four days after the martyrdom of our soldiers in Galwan, why did the Prime Minister say that "no one has intruded into our borders, nor is anyone present there"? Was this not a clean chit given to China?
“2. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has stated that "we want to return to the status quo of April 2020." Does the disengagement agreement of October 21, 2024, truly take us back to that status quo?
“3. Is it not true that Indian patrolling teams in Depsang, Demchok, and Chumar now require Chinese consent to access their own patrolling points, whereas earlier they freely exercised India’s territorial rights?
“4. Is it not correct that Indian patrolling teams are being prevented from accessing areas in Galwan, Hot Springs, and Pangong Lake due to “buffer zones,” even though these buffer zones lie within India’s claimed line?
“5. Was it not widely reported in 2020 that approximately 1,000 square kilometers of territory in eastern Ladakh came under Chinese control, including 900 square kilometers in Depsang?
“6. Is it not true that the Superintendent of Police in Leh presented a paper at the annual conference of Directors General of Police, stating that India has lost access to 26 out of 65 patrolling points in eastern Ladakh?
“7. Is it not true that imports from China are rapidly increasing—particularly in sectors like electronics, batteries, and solar cells? Have India’s telecom, pharma, and electronics sectors not become heavily dependent on Chinese imports? Is it also not true that the trade deficit with China reached a record $99.2 billion in 2024-25?
“8. Is it not true that the Modi government is attempting to “normalise relations” with a country that played a significant role in Pakistan’s military actions during Operation Sindoor—providing Pakistan with weapon systems like J-10C fighter jets and PL-15 air-to-air missiles, and, as stated by Deputy Army Chief Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh on July 4, 2025, also providing “live inputs” for Indian military operations?”
He added: “The truth is that the Modi government is responsible for the largest territorial loss India has suffered since 1962, and due to its cowardice and misguided economic priorities, it is now attempting to “normalize” relations with a country like China, which has hostile tendencies.”
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had told Rahul Gandhi: "How do you get to know that 2,000 sq km of Indian territory has been occupied by Chinese? Were you there? Do you have any credible material?"
The BJP has pounced on the apex court’s rap on Rahul, and several leaders condemned the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha as being “antinational” for his “comments against the army”.