"Why is the Prime Minister scared of China?" Congress leader Pramod Tiwari on China's move to establish two counties in Ladakh

Speaking to ANI, Tiwari said "They are building counties on the land which is India's... our PM has already given a clean chit to it even if no one came or traveled around. Why is the PM scared of China? When we want to raise this in the Parliament, you don't even answer the questions of this in the Parliament and even if you answer it, it is incomplete."

Further, the Congress leader stated that he condemned the policy of the government.

"Every bit of the country is ours. This shows the weakness of the PM and I condemn this policy of the government. Why can't you raise your voice in front of China?"

Tiwari also criticised the construction of the dam on the Brahmaputra river and said that it would impact the inflow of water from India.

"The dam which is being built on the Brahmaptura will reduce the inflow of water from India. It will also have an impact on Arunachal Pradesh and Assam." he added.

Earlier, Congress leader Pawan Khera criticised the government's response and urged the Centre to take the issue seriously.

Khera said that the "perfunctory objection" raised by the Ministry of External Affairs in Friday's press conference over the issue is "notwithstanding."

He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introspect the issue and said "Casual objection by EAM would not work." Khera alleged that China's confidence in making such moves stems from the "clean chit" given by PM Modi.

Speaking with ANI, Khera said, "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."

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday, addressing the issue, said that India has lodged a strong protest with China over the establishment of two new 'counties' in the region that includes the region under the Union Territory of Ladakh, and asserted that New Delhi has never accepted the "illegal occupation" by Beijing. (ANI)