Congress targets PM Modi over Chinese state media's praise

New Delhi: With an article in the Global Times lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies, the Congress on Friday said it was no wonder that Chinese state media has praised him, and alleged that it was he who accommodated interests of that country and allowed it to gain influence in India's neighbourhood.

An article in China's Global Times has said that India has become more strategically confident and proactive in creating and developing a "Bharat narrative".

It praised India's significant strides in the spheres of economic, social governance and foreign policy under Prime Minister Modi.

The article published by the prominent state-run Chinese media outlet has been penned by Zhang Jiadong, the director of the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, Shanghai. It highlights India's remarkable achievements over the past four years.

In a statement, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The PM's cheerleaders and drum-beaters are ecstatic on the official Chinese media's praise for him. And why shouldn't he get praise from China? After all it was he, and he alone, who -- gave a clean chit to the Chinese on 19 June, 2020 with his public statement 'Na koi hamari seema mein ghus aaya hai, na hi koi ghusa hua hai, na hi hamari koi post kisi dusre ke kabze mein hain'."

"Apart from being a grave insult to our soldiers, this lie has greatly damaged our stance in 18 rounds of Corps Commander-level negotiations and has contributed to continuing Chinese control of 2,000 square kilometres of fresh Indian territory since May 2020," Ramesh alleged.

He claimed that contradicting the prime minister, Leh's superintendent of police presented a paper stating that India can no longer access 26 out of the 65 patrolling points that it patrolled prior to 2020. Key areas such as Depsang and Demchok remain off limits to Indian troops, Ramesh claimed.

"Where the talks have led to disengagement e.g. Gogra Post and Hot Springs, India has ceded buffer zones to the advantage of the aggressor. Access from India to the spot where a memorial to Paramvir Chakra winner Major Shaitan Singh had been put up is no longer available following the 'disengagement'. No wonder the Chinese are praising the PM," the Congress leader said in his statement.

Ramesh alleged that it was the prime minister who permitted India to hold joint military drills in Russia with the same Chinese troops who are "occupying our territory in Ladakh".

"On December 1-7, a contingent of Indian troops from 7/8 Gorkha Rifles took part in Russia's Vostok 2022 exercise in which China also participated. Was the supreme sacrifice of 20 of our brave soldiers so easily forgotten?" he said.

Ramesh claimed that the prime minister allowed China to gain influence in the Maldives, Bhutan and Sri Lanka at India's expense.

"The new Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu's request for India to withdraw its troops from the Maldives is a major setback to Indian national security. A major Chinese buildup in Doklam area that overlooks India's strategic Siliguri Corridor continues despite claims of 'victory' in 2017," he said.

Meanwhile, Bhutan's prime minister stated that "there is no intrusion" by China into Bhutan despite continuing Indian concerns, Ramesh added.

"And, in Sri Lanka, where the PM has been mostly focused on securing contracts for his cronies, China has cemented its hold on critical national assets with a 99-year lease on the strategic Hambantota Port. Chinese intelligence-gathering ships have periodically docked at the port. These are all reasons for China to be satisfied," Ramesh said.

He alleged that the prime minister facilitated rapid imports from China despite promises of "Make in India" that have led to record trade deficits in excess of $200 billion in 2022 and 2023.

"To compound this, the Modi government has been dressing up the import of mobile phone parts from China with minimal value addition as a triumph of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', attempting to stoke national pride while undermining the national interest," the Congress leader said.

He also claimed that the Modi government is moving to ease the provision of Indian visas to Chinese workers. China's economic interests are clearly safe under the Modi government, Ramesh alleged.

"In 2018, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat promised that the RSS would raise a force to fight China on the border 'within three days' if the need arose, compared with the 6-7 months he said the Indian Army required. Not only is there no sign of any mobilisation four years after the Chinese intrusion, the RSS hosted a group of Chinese diplomats at its Nagpur headquarters in early December 2023," he claimed.

"The PM stuck his neck in the sand as a response to China's intrusions, cooperated with its military, allowed it to gain influence in India's neighbourhood, increased India's economic dependence on China and permitted the RSS to felicitate its diplomats," Ramesh alleged.

Noting that the Ministry of External Affairs has said that the relationship with China is "not normal", Ramesh said what is truly abnormal is "the PM's accommodation of Chinese interests".

No wonder the Chinese state media has only words of praise for him, he said.