New Delhi: The Congress said the recent remarks of Army Chief General Manoj Pande are a timely reminder of “serious deterioration” of India’s national security and accused Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre of adopting a “callous attitude” by viewing it from the perspective of electoral gain.
“General Pande’s remark that our attempt is to continue talks (with China) to go back to the status quo ante which existed in the middle of 2020 is a reminder that the Chinese continue to deny Indian troops access to 2,000 square kilometres of territory in Ladakh almost four years after their intrusion,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a statement on Saturday.
He further noted that the Army chief’s observation on “increased terrorist activities” in Rajouri and Poonch is a clear indication at the menace of cross-border terrorism despite “repeated false claims” that it will end because of demonetisation or removal of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
Jairam Ramesh claimed that since August 5, 2019, as many as 160 soldiers have been killed in terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. The latest attack happened on Friday when suspected terrorists fired at an army cavalcade in Poonch. However, no casualty was reported this time.
The senior Congress leader also pointed out that the Centre’s “callous attitude” towards national security was evident from former Army Chief MM Naravane’s book that the Army was “taken by surprise by the Agnipath scheme and that for the Navy and Air Force, it came like a bolt from the blue”.
Jairam Ramesh said these are examples that clearly show that PM Modi has reduced the issue of national security to an “instrument of his personality cult and self-aggrandisement”.
He also said that PM Modi stating back on June 19, 2020 that there was no Chinese incursion was “an insult” to the soldiers who laid down their lives protecting the borders.
Taking a veiled dig at PM Modi over his recent visit to Lakshadweep, Jairam Ramesh further said, “”The PM appears to believe that beach visits and social media campaigns are a substitute for real action to protect India’s national interests.”