The Congress on Tuesday turned up the heat on external affairs minister S. Jaishankar over his China visit, particularly meeting President Xi Jinping, and questioned the picture of bonhomie he projected when senior military commanders are on record about China’s active support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi picked on Jaishankar’s words that he “apprised President Xi of the recent development of our bilateral ties” and quipped: “I guess the Chinese foreign minister will come and apprise Modi about recent developments in China-India ties. The EAM is now running a full-blown circus aimed at destroying India’s foreign policy.”
Jaishankar’s meeting with Xi was technically a courtesy call, along with other envoys attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s council of foreign ministers meeting, in Tianjin.
Posting a picture of his meeting with Xi, Jaishankar said: “Called on President Xi Jinping this morning in Beijing along with my fellow SCO foreign ministers. Conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister @narendramodi. Apprised President Xi of the recent development of our bilateral ties. Value the guidance of our leaders in that regard.”
The Congress, which has of late gone after Jaishankar in particular, pointed out in a related statement that the vice-chief of the army, Rahul R. Singh, had recently said India did not just fight Pakistan during Operation Sindoor but also had to deal with China, which provided “live inputs, meaning real-time intelligence”.
Questioning Jaishankar’s China visit at this juncture, the Congress picked on the minister’s remarks in Beijing during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Vice-President Han Zheng. The Congress highlighted Jaishankar’s statement that bilateral relations “have been steadily improving” since Modi and Xi met in Russia last October. “One wonders in which world the foreign minister is living to make such a statement, and how much more will he insult our brave armed forces?”
The Congress also flagged Beijing’s decision to put export restrictions on rare earth elements, special fertilisers and tunnel-boring machines to India’s detriment.
With the monsoon session of Parliament around the corner, the Congress plans to keep the pressure up on the government for a discussion on relations with China.
“If Parliament could debate the border situation in November 1962 when the Chinese invasion was at its peak, why cannot we discuss now — especially given that both sides appear to want renormalisation?” a Congress statement said.