Is Rahul Gandhi Bringing Up the Ladakh Standoff Again in Lok Sabha?
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New Delhi, Feb 2 (NationPress) The Lok Sabha was once again adjourned on Monday until 4 p.m., amid a controversy surrounding Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi persistently attempting to address the alleged details of Chinese hostility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh from 2020.
The lower house of Parliament witnessed a fierce debate between the Congress and the ruling BJP regarding the unpublished book by former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane concerning the Doklam standoff with China in 2020.
When the House reconvened at 3 p.m., Defence Minister Rajnath Singh objected once more to Gandhi's comments and urged Speaker Om Birla to prevent LoP Rahul Gandhi from discussing the matter, citing a lack of authenticity.
The situation escalated in the House, yet Gandhi remained resolute in raising the Ladakh standoff issue for the sake of national security.
In the midst of the ruckus, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated: "... What do you gain by portraying the country in a poor light? We may have differences, but for the national interest, we should unite."
"You (Rahul Gandhi) are bringing up matters you are uninformed about. There is no verification regarding the book or the article. You are attempting to undermine our Army with such statements. If Rahul Gandhi wishes to discuss the borders, he should clarify how much territory the Congress gave up to China in 1962?" questioned Rijiju.
As the uproar continued, the Speaker adjourned the House until 4 p.m.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi, who led the Opposition's response to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, commenced his speech by referencing some "uncomfortable truths" regarding the India-China 2020 border standoff, allegedly sourced from an "unverified" book.
However, he was interrupted shortly into his address by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, followed by Home Minister Amit Shah and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju.
While the Congress MP claimed that an article in a prominent magazine was based on memoirs written by former Army chief Naravane and warranted public discussion, Rajnath Singh disputed this assertion, stating that the book has never been published, thus misleading the House.