BJP president J P Nadda. (File)
The BJP on Monday took a fresh jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the ongoing India-China border dispute, saying that the latter “has not attended” a single meeting of Parliament’s standing committee on defence but continues to “demoralise” the nation and question the valour of armed forces.
According to information available on the Lok Sabha website, the former Congress president did not attend any of the committee’s meetings so far.
Taking to Twitter, BJP president J P Nadda said: “Rahul Gandhi does not attend a single meeting of Standing Committee on Defence. But sadly, he continues to demoralise the nation, question the valour of our armed forces and do everything that a responsible opposition leader should not do.”
He added, “Rahul Gandhi belongs to that glorious dynastic tradition where as far as defence is concerned, committees don’t matter, only commissions do. Congress has many deserving members who understand parliamentary matters but one dynasty will never let such leaders grow. Really sad.”
Gandhi has been leading his party’s sharp criticism of the Centre over a host of issues, including the continuing standoff between Indian and Chinese armies.
On Saturday, Gandhi claimed that patriotic Ladakhis were raising their voice against Chinese intrusion and said that ignoring their warning would cost India dearly.
Gandhi also shared a media report which showed some Ladakhis alleging that the Chinese have been occupying Indian territory in Ladakh. “Patriotic Ladakhis are raising their voice against Chinese intrusion. They are screaming a warning. Ignoring their warning will cost India dearly,” the former Congress president tweeted. “For India’s sake, please listen to them,” he said.
The Congress leader also recently attacked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his ambitious Make in India project and the Centre’s decision to ban 59 Chinese apps amid the border row. He referred to data to show a jump in imports from China since 2014, the year the BJP government came to power.
The BJP has in turn accused him of lowering the morale of armed forces.