"Shameful": UP CM Yogi Adityanath slams Rahul Gandhi over China remarks - The Free Media

A day after Rahul Gandhi said that Chinese soldiers are “beating up jawans in Arunachal Pradesh”, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday condemned his statement, terming it “shameful”.

“The statement of former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on soldiers is condemnable and shameful,” the UP CM said, urging Rahul to apologise to the soldiers and the country.

The statement of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, according to the CM, is indecent and childish, and will inspire anti-national elements.

“It amounts to international humiliation of India and its valiant army. We condemn his statement. “When the entire country and the world are saying that the brave soldiers of India have foiled the acts of the infiltrators, no Indian will accept talking disrespectfully of them,” CM Yogi said.

CM Yogi also stated that this was not the first time Rahul Gandhi made disparaging remarks about soldiers.

“Even in Doklam, when the armies of both countries clashed, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress were exposed. Instead of honouring the valour of the armed forces, they supported anti-Indian activities by meeting with the Chinese ambassador,” he added.

Flagging a “clear threat from China” amid the ongoing border row, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday claimed that the neighbouring country is “preparing for war” and alleged that the Centre is “hiding and not accepting it”.

“The ones who captured 2,000 sq km of India and killed 20 Indian soldiers, and are thrashing our soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh. I told a friend that the Indian media would not question me about it,” said the former Congress President.

“Whenever there is a crisis or a challenge in front of the country, he exposes himself by putting India in the dock,” the UP CM continued.

“They point their fingers at our valiant soldiers. We condemn Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s thinking. Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the people of the country and the brave soldiers, and he should also refrain from doing such things in the future,” he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament that Chinese troops attempted to cross the LAC at Yangtse in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh in order to “unilaterally change the status quo,” but were met with a firm and resolute response, forcing the Chinese side to retreat.

Singh stated in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha that the clash resulted in a physical scuffle that injured a few personnel on both sides but that “there were no fatalities or serious casualties” among Indian soldiers.

Giving statements in both House, the Defence Minister also assured that “our forces are committed to protecting our territorial integrity and will continue to thwart any attempt made on it”.