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Congress demands Parliament debate on full gamut of India-China ties

Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge communications said that a discussion in Parliament on India-China relationship should focus on both strategic and economic policy,

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Congress demands Parliament debate on full gamut of India-China ties

The Congress on Sunday questioned whether the Modi government has agreed to a new normal over the old normal prevailing before April 2020. The party also demanded that Parliament must be given an opportunity to debate the full gamut of the relationship between the two countries.

Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge communications said that a discussion in Parliament on India-China relationship should focus on both strategic and economic policy, particularly since our dependence on China has increased economically, even as it unilaterally changed the status quo on our borders over four years back.

Jairam Ramesh said the Congress has studied the recent suo motu statement made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in both Houses of Parliament titled, Recent Developments in India’s Relations with China. He added that it is unfortunate, but typical of the Modi government, that MPs were not permitted to seek any clarifications.

He said that the Congress has four pointed questions on the statement issued by the Centre while fully appreciating the sensitive nature of many aspects of India-China border relations. He further noted that the statement claims that the House is well aware of the circumstances leading up to the violent clashes in Galwan Valley in June 2020, and pointed out that it is an unfortunate reminder that the very first official communication to the nation on this crisis came on June 19, 2020 when the PM provided a clean chit publicly to China and falsely stated none have entered the country.

Questioning what prompted PM Modi to make the assertion, the Senior Congress leader said that the statement was not only an insult to the fallen soldiers but it also weakened India’s position in subsequent negotiations. 

He continued that on October 22, 2024 Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi restated India’s longstanding position, mentioning that as far as they are concerned, they want to go back to the status quo of April 2020, thereafter they will be looking at disengagement, de-escalation and normal management of the LAC.

He further pointed out, nonetheless, the Ministry of External Affairs statement following the 32nd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) on 5 December 2024 stated that the two sides positively affirmed the implementation of the most recent disengagement agreement which completed the resolution of the issues that emerged in 2020.

He asked if this does not reveal a shift in our official position. He stated that the Ministry of External Affairs’s statement in Parliament stated that in a few other places where friction occurred in 2020, steps of a temporary and limited nature were worked out, based on local conditions, to obviate the possibility of further friction. He claimed that this clearly refers to so-called buffer zones to which the Indian troops and livestock herders are denied access that they previously had.

He underlined that these statements taken together suggest that the MEA is accepting a settlement that does not return the LAC to the April 2020 status quo as desired by the Army and the nation. He asked if it is not clear now that the Modi government has agreed to a new status quo and agreed to live with the new normal after the old normal prevailing prior to April 2020 was unilaterally disturbed by China?

He also questioned why the Chinese government has yet to corroborate any details about the disengagement in Depsang and Demchok. He further asked whether traditional grazing rights for Indian livestock herders had been restored, will there be unfettered access to our traditional patrolling points, and if the buffer zones ceded during previous negotiations have been taken back by India?.

He said that the Congress reiterates the demand it has been making for the past few years–that Parliament must, to reflect a collective national resolve, be given an opportunity to debate the full gamut of the India-China relationship. He stressed that the discussion should focus on both strategic and economic policy, especially since the country’s dependence on China has increased economically, even as it unilaterally changed the status quo on our borders over four years back.

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Delhi Elections: Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP delegation meets EC over voter deletion issue, submits proof

The former Deputy Chief Minister further claimed that a large number of applications have been made to delete voters’ names from the electoral rolls, including those of people who have been living in the same area for years.

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Delhi Elections: Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP delegation meets EC over voter deletion issue, submits proof

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party delegation on Wednesday met the Election Commission to present evidence on the alleged deletion of voters’ names in the electoral rolls ahead of the Delhi assembly elections.

Speaking to the media, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said that  today they met the Election Commission and submitted before them 3000-page evidence on how BJP is conspiring to cut votes of people of the national capital. He added that votes of the poor, SC and Dalits are being cut. 

The former Delhi Chief Minister stated that they told EC how a BJP member did the work of cutting the votes of 11,000 people in the Shahdara area. He mentioned that they have requested the EC to stop this mass deletion of names before elections and FIRs be registered against those who have applied mass deletion of names. The Election Commission has said that no mass deletions will be done before elections, he continued.

Arvind Kejriwal also mentioned that in cases of voter deletions, a field inquiry will be carried out by the Booth Level Officer (BLO), accompanied by representatives from various political parties.

Earlier on Wednesday, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia at a press conference alleged that the BJP had submitted a large number of applications for the deletion of voters names from the electoral rolls.

The Senior AAP leader said that when it has become impossible for the BJP to defeat AAP in Delhi, and when it has become impossible to stop Arvind Kejriwal, they are trying to defeat AAP by cutting votes. 

The former Deputy Chief Minister further claimed that a large number of applications have been made to delete voters’ names from the electoral rolls, including those of people who have been living in the same area for years.

The AAP,  which is aiming for a third consecutive term, has accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the voter rolls to influence the elections.

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No-confidence motion: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar a government spokesperson

The Congress Chief explained that the INDIA bloc was compelled to bring the no-confidence resolution due to the prevailing circumstances.

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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday launched a scathing attack at Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, calling him the biggest government spokesperson. The Congress President said that the biggest reason for disruptions in the Rajya Sabha is the Chairman itself. 

Recently, the INDIA alliance has submitted a notice to bring a motion in Rajya Sabha for the removal of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. Speaking about the opposition parties’ motion, Mallikarjun Kharge pointed out that no resolution had been brought to remove the Vice President since 1952 as the person occupying the post were unbiased and beyond politics and always ran the House as per the rules. However, today, there is more politics than rules in the House, he continued.

He further claimed that the Rajya Sabha Chairman does schooling like a headmaster.  He maintained that from the opposition side, whenever important issues are raised, as per rules the Chairman does not allow the House to have the discussion in a planned way. He mentioned that time and again opposition leaders are stopped from speaking.

Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that Vice President Dhankhar’s fidelity was towards the ruling BJP instead of the Constitution and consitutional tradition.

He added that the Chairman is also working as a spokesperson of the government for his next promotion. He also asserted that he has no hesitation in saying that the biggest disruptor in Rajya Sabha is the Chairman himself.

He also claimed that the Rajya Sabha Chairman’s actions had damaged the dignity of the country. The Congress Chief explained that the INDIA bloc was compelled to bring the no-confidence resolution due to the prevailing circumstances.

He concluded that the Opposition have no personal enmity or political fight with him, but want to tell the countrymen that they have taken this step to safeguard democracy, the Constitution, and after giving it a lot of thought.

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Rahul Gandhi meets Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla amid Parliament standoff, asks to expunge derogatory remark against him

BJP Lok Sabha MPs Nishikant Dubey and Sambit Patra on December 5 had riled up the Opposition Congress by alleging links between Rahul Gandhi and Hungarian.

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Rahul Gandhi meets Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla amid Parliament standoff, asks to expunge derogatory remark against him

Amid Parliament Standoff, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met Speaker Om Birla and urged him to expunge derogatory remarks made in the House against his family and the Congress. 

After the meeting, Rahul Gandhi told the reporters that the speaker said that he would look into the matter regarding derogatory comments. He added that the Opposition’s aim is that the House must run and discussion should happen in the House. The Congress leader remarked that no matter what the BJP says about him, they want to have a debate on December 13. He continued that the BJP will keep levelling allegations on them but the House must function.

BJP Lok Sabha MPs Nishikant Dubey and Sambit Patra on December 5 had riled up the Opposition Congress by alleging links between Rahul Gandhi and Hungarian.

A day after, while speaking in the House, Nishikant Dubey brought up Soros and the global investigative news network OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project).

The BJP leader remarked that the Congress has relations with OCCRP, which gets all its funds from the US government and George Soros. He further questioned if Rahul Gandhi took money from George Soros for the Bharat Jodo Yatra?”

The BJP MP’s statement had caused a high-voltage drama as Congress MPs stormed the Well of the House in protest. Later, the House was adjourned. Following, the Congress members demanded to know the status of their notices regarding breach of privileges against Dubey and Patra.

While responding to queries about BJP’s Patra calling Rahul Gandhi a traitor, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that those who can call Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi traitors, have no qualms about calling Rahul Gandhi one. 

Notably, the Winter Session of Parliament has been a washout so far after repeated disruptions on multiple issues. When the session commenced, Congress MPs demanded a discussion on the US Department of Justice indictment against the directors of Adani Green, which led to differences within the Opposition ranks because Congress allies like Trinamool Congress wanted the House to function and discuss issues such as price rise, Manipur unrest and unemployment.

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