'LoP Took Briefing From China': Jaishankar Brings Up Doklam In His Swipe At Rahul Gandhi
EAM S Jaishankar accused the opposition of choosing what other countries have to say about national security and diplomatic matters over India's elected foreign minister
Launching a blistering attack on the opposition over national security and diplomatic matters, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of relying on the Chinese ambassador's 'briefing" during the 2017 Doklam standoff.
Jaishankar was reacting to the opposition's questions on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing monsoon session in Parliament. Referring to US President Donald Trump's 'curfew" claims to end the India-Pakistan military standoff, he said he was rather surprised that the opposition chooses what other countries have to say over India's elected foreign minister.
'The leader of the opposition did not take a briefing from the government or the MEA (ministry of external affairs), but from the Chinese ambassador during Doklam. It is surprising that they do not choose to listen to the elected foreign minister of the country, but wants to listen to the people from other countries," Jaishankar said while addressing Parliament.
Jaishankar further attacked the opposition, questioning how it has the 'temerity" to question the government that 'brought down Bahawalpur and Muridke terror sites". On 'warnings" over 'China-Pakistan collaboration", he asked what the previous governments were doing when 'this has been going on for 60 years".
'The opposition lectures us on dealing with China but they allowed 2G and 3G from China; our government made indigenous 5G. I did not go to China for the Olympics, secret deals (in another aside to Rahul Gandhi); we went there to make India's stand clear on terror, trade and de-escalation," he said. 'We are getting warnings about Pak-China collaboration, when this has been going on for 60 years."
But he did not stop at this. He taunted the Congress for claiming to be 'custodians of national security" but not doing anything while it was in office.
'It is very easy for anyone to sit and keep commenting, but they should be prepared to listen to the truth. You should very politely explain to the opposition leaders that they need to sit down and listen…if our members get excited, we will not be able to stop them. We had 60 years of neglect on India's borders, which has been reversed today…our border infrastructure has gone up four times," he added.
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