'PM crossed all limits of cowardice': Congress on Modi's Newsweek interview

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an opportunity to send a strong message to China, but his weak response will encourage China further

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on China in an interview with American magazine Newsweek.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Jairam Ramesh said that the Prime Minister has crossed "all limits of cowardice". He posted on X: "In his interview to the American magazine Newsweek, the Prime Minister crossed all limits of cowardice. China is repeatedly violating India's sovereignty but the Prime Minister's only comment on this was that the long-standing situation on our border needs to be resolved immediately so that the "aberration" in bilateral talks can be left behind."

 

In his interview to Newsweek, a US magazine, the Prime Minister was at his cowardly worst. His only comment on China’s repeated infringements on Indian sovereignty was that the India-China border situation needs to be addressed urgently to resolve the "abnormality" in the…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 11, 2024

Talking about PM Modi's statements on India-China ties, Ramesh said that the prime minister had a good opportunity to send a strong message to China. "But his ineffective and weak response is likely to encourage China further to stake its claim on Indian land," he said, according to a report in Hindustan Times (HT).

Talking about the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2020, the Congress leader said that PM Modi's statement on the China row is an insult to martyrs. Ramesh said, "The Prime Minister's reaction on the China issue is not only shameful but also an insult to our martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice while protecting our borders." He demanded an apology from PM Modi.

The Congress veteran said, "The Prime Minister should apologise to 140 crore Indians for his statement on national television on June 19, 2020, "Neither anyone has entered, nor anyone has entered" and for deceiving the country by hiding his failures in protecting the border with China."

According to the HT report, in June 2020, the prime minister had said that India's rise is "unstoppable", and that peaceful relations between India and China are important for the entire world.

PM Modi had said, "I hope and believe that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, we will be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquility in our borders."