Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on his first visit to Ladakh after the revocation of Article 370, said on Sunday that China had taken India’s land and that people were not allowed to graze their livestock there.
Responding to media questions at Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh, where he paid tribute to his late father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birthday, MP Wayanad said. : “For some logistical reasons, I cannot come here for Bharat Jodo Yatra. and I thought let me come here and have a detailed tour. I have been to Lake Pangonge, will go to Nubra and Kargil and have been to Leh to listen to the people and their concerns. The concern, of course, is that the country has been robbed by China. People here have been hit hard because their grazing land has been taken away,” he said.
To the question of the Center’s claim that there was no Chinese invasion and that they did not take the land, Gandni said: “Here, the people say that Chinese forces have entered and the grasslands of they were taken, and (now) they can’t get there. Everyone is speaking clearly here. The Prime Minister said that it is not right to not take an inch of land…. Ask anyone here and they’ll tell you.”
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lashed out at Gandhi for his statements. “Whatever you say about Ladakh is completely wrong… I condemn your entire statement on behalf of the party,” said BJP senior leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
“Rahul Gandhi ji, you are questioning the bravery and sacrifice of our soldiers in Galwan… Why did you speak ill of India while visiting there? Why have you become China’s propaganda machine?” he say.
“Rahul Gandhi, whenever you visit the border area, you say something and propagate China against India. China had to retreat in Galwan to the bravery and sacrifice of Indian soldiers. We will argue with you on how well you understand India’s security needs… But please, in terms of security, don’t undermine India’s morale,” he added.
India and China have been embroiled in a protracted border confrontation east of Ladakh for the past three years.
Relations between the two neighbors deteriorated after a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June 2020 when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a hand-to-hand fight with the Chinese army.
On August 13 and 14, the two countries held the 19th Army Corps Commanders Conference at the Chushul-Moldo border.
The National Assembly leader also said that Ladakh people have some complaints.
“They are not satisfied with the status that has been given to them. They want representation. Unemployment and inflation are high here. The people here want that they are represented through the elected government and the state should not be run through the bureaucracy,” he added.
It can be said here that the people of Ladakh have requested statehood, which is protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India and one Lok Sabha seat for each of Leh and Kargil districts, respectively.
In June of this year, innovator, environmentalist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk observed a seven-day ‘rapid climate’ at Leh’s NDS Ground in an attempt to find the Friday Schedule of the Indian constitution and state status for the ecologically fragile region of Ladakh. The sixth schedule facilitates the establishment of autonomous district councils.
Wangchuk also witnessed a 5-day hunger strike for this reason in January this year.
On Saturday, Rahul Gandhi cycled more than 100 kilometers to reach Pangong Lake from Shey village.
Leh District Parliament Speaker and LAHDC-Leh Opposition Leader Tsering Namgyal said, “After Pangong Lake, Rahul Gandhi went to Nubra and after spending the night, he will return to Leh on Monday. “.
He announced that before returning to Srinagar, maybe on August 24th, Gandhi will visit Kargil, maybe on August 22nd or 23rd, to meet with party leaders, workers and people of different regions. social class.
He will meet with party staff and leaders ahead of his election to the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hills Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil.
The National Assembly and Convention (NC) has formed a pre-election coalition against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Kargil hill council polls, scheduled to be held on the 10th. September.
(With PTI input)
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