India News

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,

Published

1 year ago

December 8, 2024

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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.

Related Topics:India-China ties Jairam Ramesh

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Ex-shooter of Mukhtar Ansari gang shot dead in Barabanki, 15 rounds fired

A former shooter linked to Mukhtar Ansari’s gang was killed in Barabanki after attackers fired 15 rounds at his vehicle during a 10-minute assault.

Published

5 hours ago

February 13, 2026

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A former shooter linked to the gang of Mukhtar Ansari was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district after unidentified attackers opened fire on his vehicle.

The deceased, Shoaib alias Bobby, had earlier been associated with Ansari’s criminal network. He was also an accused in the 1999 murder case of Lucknow jailer RK Tiwari.

Attack in Asaini area

According to police officials, the incident took place in the Asaini area when Shoaib was travelling from Barabanki towards Lucknow. A total of 15 rounds were fired at his vehicle during the attack.

Authorities said the firing continued for nearly ten minutes. Eyewitnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots as the vehicle came under sustained fire, creating panic in the locality. The scale of the assault and the number of bullets discharged indicate that more than one attacker may have been involved, police added.

Background of the deceased

Shoaib Bobby had been identified in the past as a shooter for the Ansari gang. He was named as an accused in the 1999 killing of jailer RK Tiwari in Lucknow.

About Mukhtar Ansari

Mukhtar Ansari, who was 63 at the time of his death in 2024, had been booked in 65 criminal cases over the years, including charges of murder and extortion. Despite his criminal record, he was elected five times as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from different political parties.

Born in 1963 into an influential family, Ansari entered organised crime during a period when contract mafia activities were prevalent in parts of Uttar Pradesh. From 2005 until his death, he remained lodged in various jails in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

Ansari died of cardiac arrest after being hospitalised in 2024. According to a medical bulletin issued in Hindi, he was shifted from jail in Banda to Rani Durgavati Medical College at around 8.25 pm after complaining of vomiting and being found unconscious.

Police are continuing their investigation into the Barabanki shooting.

India News

Rahul Gandhi faces expulsion demand in Lok Sabha over trade deal remarks

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has moved a notice seeking Rahul Gandhi’s expulsion from the Lok Sabha. Here is how the disqualification and expulsion process works.

Published

8 hours ago

February 13, 2026

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Nishikant Dubey, a Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party, has sought the expulsion of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha. Dubey has submitted a notice calling for a substantive motion against Gandhi over his remarks concerning the India–US trade deal.

The BJP MP has demanded cancellation of Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership and has also called for a lifetime ban on him from contesting elections. The development has raised questions about the procedure for removing a sitting Member of Parliament from the House.

How can a Lok Sabha MP be expelled

The process for expelling a Member of Parliament involves several procedural steps within the House:

Submission of complaint
The process begins when a member or political party files a formal complaint against a sitting MP.

Reference to committee
The Lok Sabha Speaker may refer the matter to the Committee of Privileges for examination. The committee is tasked with conducting a detailed inquiry into the allegations.

Investigation and findings
The committee can examine evidence, call witnesses, and allow the concerned MP to present a defence. After completing its review, it submits a report outlining its findings and recommendations.

Consideration by the House
The committee’s report is tabled in the Lok Sabha. If it recommends expulsion, a motion is moved in the House to adopt the recommendation.

Voting on expulsion
For the motion to pass, it must secure a majority of members present and voting. If approved, the MP stands expelled from the House.

Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification in 2023

In 2023, a court in Surat sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in prison in a criminal defamation case related to a remark about the “Modi surname”. Under Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, any MP convicted and sentenced to two years or more faces automatic disqualification from Parliament.

Following the conviction, Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Parliament. However, he later challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court of India, which stayed his conviction. After the stay order, his Lok Sabha membership was restored and he resumed his role as an MP.

India News

Amit Shah to visit India-Bangladesh border in Assam on February 21

Amit Shah is scheduled to visit the India-Bangladesh border in Assam’s Cachar district on February 21 and participate in the Vibrant Villages Programme event.

Published

8 hours ago

February 13, 2026

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to visit the India-Bangladesh international border in Assam’s Cachar district on February 21, in a move that carries political and administrative significance ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

According to party sources, Shah will arrive in Assam on February 20 and travel the following morning to Natanpur village in the Katigorah area, located close to the international border. During his visit on February 21, he is scheduled to participate in an event under the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP).

The visit is notable as action against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh has remained a key electoral issue for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.

Ahead of the Home Minister’s arrival, State minister Kaushik Rai, Cachar district commissioner Ayush Garg, and senior officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) and police reviewed security arrangements and preparedness in Natanpur village.

Natanpur, situated along the international boundary in Cachar district, has witnessed the apprehension of over 200 illegal migrants in recent years, including individuals from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Vibrant Villages Programme, organised by the Home Ministry, focuses on strengthening border areas through livelihood generation, tourism promotion, preservation of cultural heritage, skill development, and support for agriculture and allied sectors.