India trusts PM Modi in handling situation in Ladakh: Survey (File pic)

A resounding 89% Indians trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his handling of the situation in Ladakh where militaries of India and China are engaged in a standoff since the first week of May, according to the latest IANS-CVoter Snap Poll.

The findings of the survey, beside Modi’s popularity in terms of his handling of national security, revealed that Indians now feel that China is a bigger enemy of the country than Pakistan. A total of 89% respondents said that they trust Narendra Modi on national security.

China is “problem number 1” for India, a whopping 68.3% of the respondents said, while the remaining 31.7% participants see Pakistan as a bigger threat.

“The question has gone beyond trustworthiness. The nation supports PM Modi but there is a fundamental shift that now China is seen as a bigger enemy. However, the public mood wants a befitting reply to China,” Yashwant Deshmukh, Founder-Director, CVoter International, said.

While Indians unequivocally put their trust in Modi in dealing with Chinese aggression on the border, more than 60% of the respondents said that they are still waiting for retribution against China, saying the neighbouring country has not got a befitting reply.

The remaining 39.8% said that the Indian government has given a suitable reply to China in Ladakh.

To a question on how much people trust the Modi government over the opposition parties, nearly 74% said they trust the BJP government more than the opposition when it comes to the issue of national security. Only 16% said they trust the opposition parties more than the Modi government.

On boycotting Chinese products, 68.2% said that they will boycott Chinese goods. But 31.8% said that nothing will happen and people will continue to buy Chinese items.

To another question on how much the public trusts former Congress president Rahul Gandhi who has been vocal against the Modi government over its handling of the coronavirus situation and Ladakh standoff, 61.3% said they do not trust him at all on matters of national importance. Only 39% said they trust him.