Govt, BJP contradict each other while trying to corner Rahul on China clash

The political row erupted after Rahul Gandhi said that China has committed a "big mistake" by killing Indian soldiers and then trained his guns at the BJP government questioning who sent the soldiers "unarmed" and also asked who was responsible for their deaths.

"By killing the unarmed soldiers of India, China has committed a big mistake. I want to ask who sent them unarmed towards the danger and why, who is responsible?" Gandhi said in a video message.

Following his remarks, Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar coached the former Congress chief.

Replying to Gandhi's tweet, Jaishankar said, "Let us get the facts straight. All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving posts. Those at Galwan on June 15 did so. Longstanding practice (as per 1996 and 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs."

However, BJP national Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda soon contradicted the External Affairs Minister.

In a tweet, Panda shot back at Gandhi, saying, "Who sent out Indian troops without weapons? The answer is an agreement barring weapons within 2 km of Line of Actual Control (LAC) signed by an Indian government backed by your (Congress) party! What to do with a 50-year-old juvenile who persists in trying to embarrass India but with no knowledge of its history?"

The contradiction in the statement by the government and the party national vice president leader embarassed the BJP.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi asked the government, "How dare China kill our unarmed soldiers? Why were our soldiers sent unarmed to martyrdom?"

The politics over the killing of 20 Indian soldiers, including an officer by Chinese PLA forces in Galwan valley on Monday night has sparked a political war between the opposition and the ruling BJP.

Gandhi has led from the front in questioning the government and questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he continued his attack for the second consecutive day. On Wednesday he questioned Modi's silence on the killing of Indian soldiers in Galwan Valley.

Gandhi in a tweet said, "Why is the Prime Minister silent? Why is he hiding? Enough is enough. We need to know what has happened. How dare China kill our soldiers? How dare they take our land?"

Later in the day, he also took a jibe at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for taking two days to condole the death of 20 Indian soldiers, including an officer, in Ladakh's Galwan valley.

"If it was so painful, why insult Indian Army by not naming China in your tweet? Why take two days to condole? Why address rallies as soldiers were being martyred? Why hide and get the Army blamed by the crony media? Why make paid media blame Army instead of government of India?" Gandhi said in a tweet on Wednesday.

The fresh salvo from the Congress leader came after Rajnath Singh on Wednesday afternoon condoled the death of 20 Indian soldiers, including an officer. The Defence Minister in a tweet said, "The loss of soldiers in Galwan is deeply disturbing and painful. Our soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army."

Rajnath Singh had addressed a ‘virtual' BJP rally as part of 'Jan Samvad' on Sunday and Monday in Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand.