Dr. Singhvi said when will this government, if and when they take, strong corrective measures on National security for National Interest, with respect to our border situation. Any right thinking person and certainly a responsible opposition would be alarmed and concerned as we are. China blaming India day in and day out and adopting one of the most aggressive postures, even given the standard of Chinese aggression and the chicken neck which is an issue of extremely important territorial National integrity and territorial National security becoming an issue with this very long standoff with China. The third facet of this National security equation is our long standing relationship with Bhutan – and as one of our most cherished neighbours, one of our long standing allies – Bhutan, a neighbourhood kingdom towards whom our commitment has been and should be unwavering.
These three facets, I want to discuss with you. We all know that perhaps in the last 55 years such a serious standoff has not occurred and I am not talking merely of destruction of a bunker here or bunker there but this very serious eye ball to eye ball confrontation. This has been preceded with a humongous number of Chinese incursions and violations and I am startled to find this figure which is on the official website that in the last 45 days alone, 120 Chinese incursions i.e. almost at the rate of 3 a day and if you take the whole year of 2017 which is less than half over – these incursions have been 240, which is much more than one per day. Unfortunately, it appears this Government has been caught napping and has not been able to implement significant accords of recent vintage of recent origin – forget the old ones which the UPA Government did. We were able to contain and control the situation. I have to give more details but I will cite only two agreements for such.
The Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Area Agreement – Title is this – of April 2005 – other is Border Defence Co-operation Agreement of 2013. This base existed and therefore, not only a violation of these has happened by the repeated transgressions but violation near the most sensitive part which is the area known as ‘Chicken Neck’. We say this with great responsibility and restrain but we would be abdicating our responsibility if we did not say. We have not had only these transgressions, we have not only had destruction of bunkers, and had but after a long-long time, a complete stoppage of the ‘Mansarovar Yatra’ from one entry point.
The Chinese have posted photographs of destruction. You have perhaps forgotten June 4, 2017 – a few weeks ago – two Chinese Army choppers violated Indian Air space in Chamoli District in Uttarakhand. On an earlier occasion which we shared with you, Chinese helicopters came more than 4-1/2 Kms. into Indian territory, again in Uttarakhand.
We are highly alarmed and concerned because the responses of the Government in one or two cases have been actually very-very pitiable – I quote the Minister of State for Defence, in written reply to Parliament said “No Chinese incursions, only transgressions’. Perhaps the Ministry of Defence should have supplied us a dictionary – the dictionary which tries to point out the different without a distinction or distinction without a difference when we say ‘No Chinese incursions only Transgressions’. Even a Lawyer will blush with such a distinction.
Then Shri Rajnath Singh, the Hon’ble Home Minister said ‘Chinese intrusions are only perception’. It is alright, we can get away with these statements but when you have such a serious standoff or face-off, the responses by Indian very senior Minister assume very great significance.
I am not going to remind you in details but all this happens in the backdrop of Chinese Daredevilry, Chinese unconcern and Chinese complete lack of sympathy what to talk of empathy for issues like Masood Azhar, persistent objection and obstruction, for issues like NSG, persistent repetitive obstruction, issues like UNSC Membership. This is much worse because I am sorry to say that our longest term ally Russia extended support to China on the Corridor issue.
Few days after, we were treated to all kinds of optics and photo opportunities and then comes India’s isolation. When we object and take a stand, we should not seem to be isolated. But we regretfully inform and remind you about India in isolation on the so-called CPEC Economic Corridor issue – 54 Billion US $ under our nose and we appear to have become an isolated object or who is standing on the silence watching helplessly.
I started and am ending by reminding you and telling this is said with responsibility and restrain but it is to be reminded to this country that nothing is more precious than our country’s National security and National integrity, territorial integrity. I am asking myself whether this Government’s three years can be described in terms of either a reluctant ‘Raksha Mantri’ or a ‘Part-time Raksha Mantri’. India deserves better. It is not the question of Mr.. A or B, I am not alleging personalities with some serious issues, it is just not possible for ‘Part-time Ministers’ to deal with such issues and unfortunately the Nation has lurched from a reluctant ‘Raksha Mantri’ to ‘Part Time Raksha Mantri’ and vice-versa.
I must inform you also with great regret and deep regret about the Mountain Strike Corps. The Government of India, under the Congress Party, devoted a scheme of Rs. 64,678 Crores with 90,274 additional soldiers for what was to be known as ‘Mountain Strike Corps’. ‘Mountain Strike Corps’ – basically 90% would be manning the ‘Indo-Chinese Border’. We have asked through you earlier and I ask again, why it is kept in deep freeze, where is the scheme gone. What has the BJP done – Rs. 64,000 Crore and 90,000 additional troops precisely in the area where we are having these very-very serious problems?
On the statement of Owaisi, Dr. Singhvi said let me make it clear – I have no hesitation in saying so. This is yet again the BJP ‘B’ Team, their name may be ‘Owaisi Brothers’. The party may be different but nothing; it is BJP’s ‘B’ Team. This is that Team which the BJP time and again in the past and now again has used to promote and to implement an agenda of polarization, of hate and envy, of mutual enmity and destruction, using or misusing the ilk of people like Owaisis. This is the ‘Dirty Tricks Department’ of the BJP which spreads this to create polarization for cheap politics and cheap votes. The object of this is only one – to create Hindu Vs Muslim, Caste Vs Caste, Region Vs Region, Indian Vs Indian and if affects Everybody Vs Everybody. I am shocked and aghast that the party which is in power stands exposed and every time they do so, we will expose them again.