Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government over its handling of the conflict with China saying that it is a disaster that 4,000 square kilometres of Indian territory is occupied by troops from the neighbouring country.

The Leader of the Opposition, however, indicated that the Congress is in broad agreement with the NDA-led government on other major foreign policy issues, including relations with the US, no talks with Pakistan unless terrorism ends and concerns over extremist elements in Bangladesh.

Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club, Gandhi asserted that he did not want any US role in India’s internal affairs.

Responding to a question about China, he said “Well, if you call having Chinese troops in 4,000 square kilometres of our territory handling something well, then maybe. We’ve got Chinese troops occupying land the size of Delhi in Ladakh.”

“I think that’s a disaster. Media doesn’t like to write about it. How would America react if a neighbour occupied 4,000 square kilometres of your territory?” he asked.

“Would any president be able to get away with saying that he’s handled that well?” he said.

Gandhi, however, supported PM Modi’s policies on Pakistan and said, “Pakistan’s instigation of terrorism in our country is holding the two countries back. We are not going to accept Pakistan carrying out terror acts in our country. We’re just not going to accept it. And until they keep doing that, there’s going to be problems between us.”

Responding to a question on the India-US relationship, Gandhi noted that it has bipartisan support in both countries.

“I don’t see a big diversion. I don’t see Modi diverting very much from our approach with the US. I don’t see ourselves changing direction very much from what he’s doing. So, I see continuity there,” he said.

Gandhi, who is on an unofficial four-day trip to the US, said everyone accepts the fact that the India-US relationship is key for both countries.

The Congress leader criticised the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year but said the scale of violence that ensued must stop.

Responding to a question on Bangladesh, Gandhi said there are concerns in India about extremist elements in Bangladesh and “we share some of those concerns.”

However, Gandhi was confident that things would stabilise in Bangladesh and that India would be able to have a relationship with the current government or any other government after that.

Gandhi had a meeting with a group of lawmakers at the US Capitol where the issue was discussed.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday lashed out at Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader  Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in the US on reservation.

As long as the BJP is there, neither can anyone abolish reservations nor can anyone mess with the nation’s security, Shah said in a social media post on X.

His remarks come after Gandhi, said that the Congress party will think of scrapping reservation when India becomes a fair place, which it is not. The Rae Bareli MP made his comments during an interaction with students and faculty at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, on September 9.   

Hitting out at Gandhi, Shah said standing with forces that conspire to divide the country and making anti-national statements have become a habit for the Congress party and its leader.

“Whether it is supporting the JKNC’s anti-national and anti-reservation agenda in Jammu and Kashmir or making anti-India statements on foreign platforms, Gandhi has always threatened the nation’s security and hurt sentiments,” the senior BJP leader said.  

Gandhi’s statement lays bare the Congress’s politics of causing rifts along the lines of regionalism, religion, and linguistic differences, Shah said.

By speaking about abolishing reservations in the country, Gandhi has once again brought the Congress’s anti-reservation face to the forefront, he retorted at Gandhi.

“The thoughts that were in his mind eventually found their way out as words. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that as long as the BJP is there, neither can anyone abolish reservations nor can anyone mess with the nation’s security” Shah said.

Earlier during his interaction with the students and faculty at the University, Gandhi said, “When you look at the financial numbers, then tribals get 10 paise out of 100 rupees; Dalits get 5 rupees out of 100 rupees, and OBCs get a similar number. The fact of the matter is that they’re not getting participation.”

“The problem is that 90 per cent of India is not able to play. Go through the list of every single business leader in India. I’ve done it. Show me the tribal name. Show me the Dalit name. Show me the OBC name. Out of the top 200, I think there’s one OBC. They’re 50 per cent of India. But we’re not treating the symptom, he said.

At the inauguration of Semicon 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday made a pitch for India to the chip makers to boost investments in domestic manufacturing of semiconductors and said the resilience of supply chains is critical for the economy. 

Addressing the Semicon India 2024, the Prime Minister said the Covid pandemic showed the importance of the supply chain and underscored the need to act to ward off any disruption.

“Resilience of the supply chain is very important. India is working to create the same in different sectors of the economy,” PM Modi said at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

PM Modi said India is world’s 8th country where such a huge event linked with global semiconductor industry is being held.

“I can say that this is the right time to be in India. You are at the right place at the right time. In the India of 21st century, the chips are never down. Today’s India makes the world believe that when the chips are down, you can bet on India,” PM Modi added.

The Prime Minister showcased India’s reformist regime, stable policies and a market that has tasted technology to make a strong pitch for investments in semiconductor manufacturing.

PM Modi said it is the country’s dream to have an Indian-made chip in every device in the world, adding “We will do everything that is needed to make India a semiconductor powerhouse.”

Talking of steps his government took to boost semiconductor manufacturing, he said a reformist government, a growing manufacturing base and an aspirational market that has tasted technology provide a ‘Three-D Power’ for chip making in the country.

He said investment of over Rs 1.5 lakh crore has already been committed in semiconductor manufacturing and many projects are in pipeline.

Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, during a press conference on the sidelines of Semicon, said: “It is a very difficult task to start a semiconductor industry. This work was done by the entire team under PM’s visionary leadership.”

He said the kind of support received in this journey from across the country was an unprecedented experience. Today, semiconductor leaders of the world are here and all of them are saying one thing in their experience of 30-40 years, for the first time they are witnessing that the entire ecosystem is together in one place, he added.

“This itself shows how important India is in their plan and how much confidence they have today on our journey, efforts, stable policies, and visionary leadership of our prime minister,” the Union Minister said.