The Lok Sabha witnessed a heated exchange today between Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and BJP’s Anurag Thakur during the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the upper house. Mr. Gandhi’s criticism of the government’s handling of the border dispute with China and its response to the new US tariffs drew a sharp rebuttal from Mr. Thakur, who not only dismissed his claims but also pointed fingers at previous Congress governments.
The Congress leader targeted the government over “the foreign secretary cutting cake with the Chinese ambassador” while 4,000 square kilometers of Indian land remained under Chinese occupation. He described it as “a celebration of the martyrdom of Indian soldiers who had given their lives.”
Questioning the government’s approach to the territorial issue, Mr. Gandhi said, “We are not against the restoration of normalcy, but there should be status quo before that. They have to give our land back.” He accused the government of lacking transparency in its dealings with China, stating, “It has come to my notice that the Prime Minister and the President have written to the Chinese. It is the Chinese Ambassador informing us about this, not our own people.”
Turning to the new US tariff regime that came into effect today, Mr. Gandhi asked, “What are you doing about our land, and what will you do about the tariff our ally has imposed on us?” The US has imposed an additional 27% import duty on India, citing New Delhi’s high tariffs on American goods. Mr. Gandhi warned that the reciprocal tariffs would “completely devastate” the Indian economy, particularly industries like automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.
In a pointed attack, Mr. Gandhi invoked a historical anecdote: “Someone once asked Indira Gandhi ji in the matter of foreign policy whether she leans left or right. She replied that she is an Indian and she stands straight… The BJP and RSS have a different philosophy; when asked to lean right or left, they say they bow their heads to every foreigner that comes. This is part of their culture and history.”
The verbal sparring continued during Zero Hour, when BJP MP Anurag Thakur launched a counterattack, questioning under whose rule China had occupied the Aksai Chin area. “They kept talking about Hindi-Chini bhai bhai and stabbed us in the back. Who was the leader that was having Chinese soup with Chinese officials during Doklam and did not stand with the Indian Army? Which foundation took money from Chinese officials? Has the question been answered whether the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation accepted that money or not, and for what purpose was the money taken?” Mr. Thakur asked.
He defended the Modi government, saying, “Under PM Modi’s leadership, the Indian Army gave a befitting reply during Doklam. The PM visited the border and boosted the morale of the armed forces. The defense minister also went… no one has been able to take a single inch of our land. Some people level false allegations while colluding with China for their political advantage.”
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