Doklam a major strategic failure for Modi govt: Congress

Congress

The Chinese army building helipads and trenches in Doklam is a major strategic failure of the Modi government, which has risked the integrity and security of the nation, said Congress leader Randeep Surjewala.

Surjewala was commenting on Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s acknowledgement of China’s latest activities in the Doklam region.

Surjewala, who was in Bhopal to select the party’s spokespersons and hold training sessions for them, said that the defence minister had accepted the fact that the “Chinese Army’s temporary deployment has shifted to a permanent one”.

“The PM should come forward and clear the air on not only Doklam, but also on the security measure of the chicken neck (region that links the northeast states to the rest of India),” he said.

On Monday, Sitharaman had said in the Lok Sabha, "Post disengagement from the face-off in 2017, troops of both sides have redeployed themselves away from their respective positions at the face-off site. The strength of both sides have been reduced."

Surjewala later commented on social activist Periyar’s statue being vandalised in Vellore and said that BJP national secretary H Raja had called for the desecration of Periyar’s statues and his party workers had only followed suit, “but this was not the first time something of this sort has happened”.

“When Sakshi Maharaj called Nathuram Godse a patriot, he was elevated as a party national executive while Gen VK Singh was appointed as a minister after he compared Dalit boys to puppies,” Surjewala said.