'Needs To Be Taken Seriously': On China Setting Up New Counties, Congress Warns Modi Government

Congress leader expressed concerns over China's plan to build a mega-dam on the Brahmaputra river.

Congress leader Pawan Khera reacted sharply on China's establishment of two new counties in Hotan prefecture and said that the "perfunctory objection" raised by the Ministry of External Affairs in Friday's press conference over the issue is "notwithstanding."

"The perfunctory objection raised by MEA is notwithstanding. China draws its confidence from the clean chit the PM gave on 20th June 2020 after the Chinese incursions in our territory. Now that China has created two counties in Hotan prefecture, it is an area which has been traditionally, historically been ours and we have been very consistent about our claim on the area," Khera told ANI.

He criticised the government's response to this issue and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introspect the issue.

Khera stated, "Casual objection by EAM would not work," alleging that China's confidence in taking such actions arises from the "clean chit" given by PM Modi.

"This needs to be taken seriously and casual objections by the EAM would not work. PM must introspect that he can't go about distributing clean chits to neighbours who are hostile to our interests," he added.

Khera further expressed concerns over China's plan to build a mega-dam on the Brahmaputra river and said, "The dam on the Brahmaputra river again undermines and creates havoc for our interests in the northeastern region. This reflects very poorly on our foreign policy," said the Congress leader.

On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that India had lodged a strong protest with China over the establishment of two new "counties" in a region that included territory under the Union Territory of Ladakh. The ministry emphasized that New Delhi has never recognized Beijing's "illegal occupation" of the area.

"We have seen the announcement pertaining to the establishment of two new counties in Hotan Prefecture of China. Parts of the jurisdiction of these so-called counties fall in India's Union Territory of Ladakh. We have never accepted the illegal Chinese occupation of Indian territory in this area," MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a press conference.

"The creation of new counties will neither have a bearing on India's long-standing and consistent position regarding our sovereignty over the area nor lend legitimacy to China's illegal and forcible occupation of the same. We have lodged a solemn protest with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels," he added.

(With ANI inputs)