In Diwali celebration on Arunachal border, Rijiju has brief encounter with Chinese troops
“Diwali with brave jawans at Border in Bumla, Arunachal Pradesh. #HappyDeepavali2024 #Diwali,” the Union Minister wrote on X.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on Monday, slammed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for using the word “pitai (beating)” in the context of clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector.
While criticising Prime Minister Modi on the Chinese action in Arunachal Pradesh, Rahul last week stated: “Hamare jawanon ki pitai ho rahi hai (our troops are being beaten up)”.
Responding to this, Jaishankar said in the Lok Sabha today: “We have no problem if there are political differences, even if there is political criticism. I have heard sometimes that my own understanding needs to be deepened. When I see who is giving the advice, I can only bow and respect, but I think we shouldn’t directly or indirectly criticise our jawans. Our jawans are standing in Yangtse at 13,000 feet, defending our border, they do not deserve to have the word ‘pitai’. The word ‘pitai’ shouldn’t be used for our jawans.”
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He said India jawans were standing their ground and they should be respected and honoured
Ridiculing the suggestion that the government was not seriously acting against China, the minister said; “If we were indifferent to China then who sent the Indian Army to the border? If we were indifferent to China then why are we pressurising China for de-escalation and disengagement today? Why are we saying publicly that our relations are not normal?”
Soon after Rahul’s remarks in Jaipur during his Bharat Jodo Yatra where he accused the government of downplaying the threat posed by China, saying Beijing was preparing for war but the Modi government was “sleeping”, the BJP had sharply attacked the Congress leader, demanding that Congress should immediately expel him from the party for his comments on Indian jawans.
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