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India-China border imbroglio: Chinese state media says If India can intervene in Bhutan, China can do the same in Kashmir

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India China Troops

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]~By Rajesh Sinha

The supposed bonhomie between India and China, speculated upon after the Modi-Jinping mutually congratulatory speeches at Hamburg, evaporated fast.

After India claimed the two leaders discussed “a range of issues”, China on Monday said that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “no bilateral meeting” on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg and that withdrawal of troops by India from Doklam was a pre-condition for any meaningful dialogue between the two sides.

Along with this came a bluntly aggressive piece in China’s state-controlled media from an analyst at Chinese think tank, bringing in Kashmir into the picture to say a “third country’s” army could enter Kashmir at Pakistan’s request, using the “same logic” the Indian Army used to stop the Chinese military from constructing a road in the Doklam area in the Sikkim sector on behalf of Bhutan.

Such statements erased any notions about emerging signs of easing of tension between India and China. On Saturday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay had talked about Modi and Jinping discussing a “range of issues” but refused to elaborate on it. “We have tweeted that the two leaders discussed a range of issues. A range of issues means a range of issues. I don’t want to add anything further… I leave it to you to draw your conclusion,” Baglay said.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang, when asked about the issue discussed between the two, said, “According to my information, the two said leaders did not hold any bilateral meeting.” He said Jinping chaired an informal meet of BRICS leaders and Modi was among them. He said the withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam was the pre-condition for any meaningful dialogue between the two countries.

In the article in Global Times, Long Xingchun, Director at the Centre for Indian Studies at China West Normal University, said that a third country’s troops could enter Jammu and Kashmir on behalf of Pakistan like India did in the Doklam region. He said that this move would be justified as it would be on the lines of the “same logic” that the Indian Army has been using to halt China’s road construction project at the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet trijunction.

“Even if India were requested to defend Bhutan’s territory, this could only be limited to its established territory, not the disputed area,” said Xingchun. “Otherwise, under India’s logic, if the Pakistani government requests, a third country’s army can enter the area disputed by India and Pakistan, including India-controlled Kashmir,” the article said.

Elsewhere, the Global Times quoted Lin Mingwang from the Institute of International Studies at Shanghai’s Fudan University as saying that “China has nothing to do with the situation in Kashmir, but it would be unwise for India to engage in two conflicts at the same time”.

China has already been constructing roads and building infrastructure in Pakistan occupied Kashmir for years, despite acknowledging it as a disputed territory between India and Pakistan.

Xingchun also said that China could draw international attention over the Doklam controversy and the western nations would not support India without conditions as the West has a wide range of common interests with China. The editorial also said that the other countries know that China “will never resort to force till it is the last choice”.

Apart from saying that this time China must teach India “a bitter lesson”, another editorial in the Global Times also raised the Sikkim independence spectre and said that China may support Sikkim’s appeal for independence.

This is not the first time that China has threatened to interfere in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese media has made a similar statement when Dalai Lama had visited Arunachal Pradesh in April 2017.

“New Delhi not only allowed the 14th Dalai Lama to visit Southern Tibet, a historical Chinese territory India has illicitly occupied and refers to as ‘Arunachal Pradesh’, but the spiritual leader of ‘Tibetan independence’ was also escorted on the trip by India’s junior minister of home affairs,” the state-run China Daily said in its editorial.

The Chinese media had accused India of using Dalai Lama “as a diplomatic tool to put pressure on China” and said that Beijing could interfere in “turbulent” Kashmir.

The Chinese state media have carried a barrage of critical articles on the Doklam standoff criticising India, but this was the first time Pakistan and Kashmir were brought into the narrative. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Doklam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Doklam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a Chinese Army’s construction party attempted to build a road.

The Indian Army has said it is ready for a long haul in holding onto its position. The Indian soldiers deployed in Doka La have pitched in tents, in an indication that they are unlikely to retreat unless there was reciprocity from China’s PLA personnel in ending the face-off at an altitude of around 10,000 feet in the Sikkim section, PTI quoted official sources as saying.

PTI reported that the officials sounded confident of finding a diplomatic solution to the dispute. Both the countries had agreed to a mechanism in 2012 to resolve border flare ups through consultations at various levels. The mechanism has not worked so far in the current case as the standoff near the Bhutan trijunction, triggered by China’s attempt to build a road in the strategically important area, has dragged on for over three weeks.

India has already conveyed to China that such an action would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India. The road link could give China a major military advantage over India.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Hardeep Singh Puri says Sunita Kejriwal is preparing to hold Delhi CM post like Rabri Devi

The Union Minister was speaking to the media during the inauguration of Delhi BJP’s election office along with leaders including Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva and Bansuri Swaraj.

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Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday compared Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, hinting that she may be gearing up to take on her husband’s post. The Union Minister was speaking to the media during the inauguration of Delhi BJP’s election office.

The BJP leader further took a dig at Delhi Chief Minister for forming an alliance with the most corrupt party against whom they had started an anti-corruption movement with social activist Anna Hazare. The minister made the statement in response to a question regarding Sunita Kejriwal, who earlier today launched a whatsapp campaign advocating for support for her husband, who is in ED custody in connection with the Excise policy case.

In a video Sunita Kejriwal said her husband has challenged the most corrupt and dictatorial forces in the country and asked people to support her husband through their prayers and blessings. She issued 2 WhatsApp numbers 8297324624 and 9700297002 through which people can send their blessings, prayers or any other messages to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and she will communicate those to him.

She said yesterday Kejriwal had presented his side in the court, and the entire country heard it. She requested the people to listen to it if they had not listened till now. She added whatever Kejriwal had said in front of the court required a lot of courage. She said her husband is a true patriot. She requested the people to participate in the Kejriwal ko Aashirwad campaign.

BJP leader Manoj Tiwari also took a dig at Aam Aami Party asking why only Kejriwal’s wife is coming out in his support, and not the people of Delhi. He said the Honorable Justice of High Court said they cannot stop Arvind Kejriwals’ arrest that they are surprised why he hasn’t been arrested yet?

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Lok Sabha elections: INDIA bloc in Bihar seals seat-sharing deal, Congress get 9 seats, RJD 26

Purnea and Katihar, currently held by the Janata Dal (United), had emerged as the sticking point in seat-sharing talks between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress for the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

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The Opposition INDIA bloc sealed the seat-sharing deal in Bihar for 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Mahagathbandhan’s largest constituent, RJD will field its candidates from 26 seats, including Purnea and Hajipur, while the Congress will contest on nine seats, including Kishanganj and Patna Sahib. Meanwhile, the Left will fight on five seats.

Purnea and Katihar, currently held by the Janata Dal (United), had emerged as the sticking point in seat-sharing talks between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress for the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

Reportedly, the Congress has been made to give up the Purnea Lok Sabha seat, which recent entrant Pappu Yadav, husband of Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan, was hoping to contest, mentioning that he had received assurance of Congress ticket from Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.

The seat will be contested by RJD, which recently gave the party ticket to JD(U) turncoat Bima Bharti, but stopped short of announcing it formally. The INDIA bloc seat-sharing announcement comes a day after the filing of nomination papers for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls was over. The RJD has fielded its candidates in all four seats going to elections in the first phase.

Earlier, Tejashwi Yadav attended an INDIA bloc meeting regarding Bihar’s seat-sharing formula at Congress leader Mukul Wasnik’s residence and said that the RJD, the Congress and the Left will fight the Lok Sabha elections together in Bihar. He added that the INDIA bloc partners have agreed verbally on the seat-sharing arrangement and all the constituents are getting a respectable deal. Tejashwi Yadav’s remarks came amid reports of disquiet in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance in Bihar over seat sharing.

In the previous Lok Sabha elections, the National Democratic Alliance, including the BJP, JD(U) and LJP won 39 seats. The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections is scheduled for April 19.

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Tax terrorism has to stop, says Congress after Income Tax Department issues fresh Rs 1,700 crore notice

The Congress has accused the BJP of squeezing it financially and of using tax authorities against it ahead of Lok Sabha elections beginning April 19.

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Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, the Congress’ financial woes worsened once again with the Income Tax Department issuing a fresh Rs 1,700 crore notice. The tax department issued the notice due to discrepancies in tax returns. 

The fresh notice is for assessment years 2017-18 to 2020-21 and includes penalty and interest. This comes a day after the Delhi High Court dismissed the party’s petition challenging the tax notices. 

The opposition party is already facing a funds crunch after Income Tax authorities imposed a penalty of Rs 200 crore and froze its funds. Furthermore, the party has not received any relief from the High Court in the case and is likely to approach the Supreme Court. The Congress has accused the BJP of squeezing it financially and of using tax authorities against it ahead of Lok Sabha elections beginning April 19.

Addressing a press conference, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said that the notices are being sent to cripple the party financially. Calling the action as tax terrorism, Jairam Ramesh said that this attack on Congress has to stop.

Earlier in February, the Income Tax department had found fault in the party’s tax returns and demanded Rs 200 crore. Subsequently, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) had asked the party to pay the dues and froze their accounts. The Congress stated the tax tribunal’s order freezing its funds was an attack on democracy as the order came just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal stated that this is a deliberate attempt by the Narendra Modi-led to bankrupt the Congress ahead of elections. He mentioned that the timing of the penalty notice, following the Delhi High Court’s dismissal of Congress petitions challenging tax reassessment proceedings, reeks of political vendetta.

He underlined that while political parties are typically exempt from taxes, this penalty is allegedly due to delayed filing of returns. He asserted that it is a blatant move by the Modi government to cripple the Congress financially, especially during the elections. He further asserted that in response to the notice, the Congress plans to stage a nationwide protest, condemning BJP’s exploitation of central agencies to target opposition parties. 

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