Hitting back at the Congress after it targeted the Central government over the Chinese aggression in the intervening night of August 29 and 30 along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh sector, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday asked why the opposition party was “crying” when the Indian Army has kept the nation’s territorial integrity intact by thwarting the neighbouring country’s designs.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference that India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had shown the proverbial laal aankh (red eyes that imply danger) to China and questioned as to why the Congress is showing its “moist eyes”.
He was responding to Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala’s jibe at the government earlier in the day.
Surjewala had tweeted, “Another brazen attempt at aggression by China in Pangong Tso lake. Everyday there is a Chinese intrusion … Pangong Tso lake area, Gogra and Galwan valley, Depsang plains, Lipulekh pass, Doka La and Naku La. Our armed forces are standing fearlessly to protect Mother India. But when will Modiji show his red eyes?”
Patra said the issue pertaining to China is not about a single party but about the country. He said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a statement in which it said that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops tried to violate Indian sovereignty, but its attempts were thwarted.
“The BJP and the people of India salute the Indian Army. The bravery with which they have discharged their duty and protected India’s sovereignty deserves our salute,” he said.
Attacking the Congress, he said, “India and Modi ji have shown their red eyes (laal aankh). Indian Army has shown its red eyes (anger). That is why India’s sovereignty is intact. Nobody can challenge it. Everyone has trust in the Indian Army and Modiji, and stands by them.”
Patra said nobody played with the country’s sovereignty
“I want to ask Randeep Singh Surjewala and Rahul Gandhi that we have red eyes, but why do you have moist eyes? Whenever we are attacked or we carry out a surgical strike to destroy terrorist camps, then why do you start crying? You should be happy,” he said.
Our army has valour, and our government and the PM have self-confidence, he added.
In a fresh incident in eastern Ladakh, the Chinese PLA had carried out “provocative military movements” to “unilaterally” change the status quo ante on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake but the attempt was thwarted by Indian troops, the Army had said in a statement earlier in the day.
Patra also levelled a series of allegations at the Congress.
He alleged that there were contributions made by Yes Bank co-founder Rana Kapur, fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi and absconding Islamic cleric Zakir Naik or companies linked to them to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF).
