Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s management of relations with China, stating that Beijing was “occupying our territory,” while also taking a jab at the Hindu nationalist leader for the country’s religious polarisation.
“The reality is that China is occupying our territory. During a visit to Washington, Gandhi, a member of the opposition Congress party, told the National Press Club that it is a well-known fact.
“This is completely unacceptable. The Prime Minister appears to disagree.”
The embassy of India in Washington did not respond promptly to a request for comment. Gandhi’s tour occurs weeks before Modi’s scheduled visit to the United States later this month.
Following the conflict on their disputed Himalayan frontier in the early 1960s, China and India have been uneasy neighbors for decades.
China escalated tensions this year by renaming 11 locations in India’s eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls southern Tibet and claims as its territory, following deadly border confrontations in 2020 that killed 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops. India has denied and refuted these allegations.
Modi stated in May that for normal relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors, calm on India’s border with China is essential. Since coming to power in 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Narendra Modi has invested millions of dollars to improve the military and civilian infrastructure along India’s 3,800-kilometer (2,360-mile) border with China.
Separately, Gandhi attributed India’s religious polarisation to Modi, claiming that his Hindu nationalist party is not inclusive.
They generate a certain level of hatred in society, polarise it, and are exclusive. “They do not accept everyone and they divide society,” Gandhi stated.
The BJP refutes the allegations and asserts that its policies are geared towards the well-being and growth of all Indians.
Gandhi additionally charged the BJP with the “capture of institutions” and “capture of the press” in India. Since Modi came to power in 2014, India’s position on the World Press Freedom Index, an annual assessment compiled by the non-profit Reporters Without Borders, has dropped from 140th to 161st, its lowest position ever.
The BJP rejects institutional compromise and asserts that its administration adheres to the rule of law.
