New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Friday trained his guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deaths of Bihar regiment soldiers in the Galwan clash as he addressed his first rally ahead of the assembly election.
Gandhi hit out at the speech Modi delivered earlier in the day, in which the PM bowed his head to the slain soldiers.
“PM talks about bowing down to the Bihar soldiers who lost their lives. The entire country bows down to them. But the question is, what was PM Modi doing when the soldiers lost their lives? The PM lied by saying China did not enter our territory,” Gandhi said.
Addressing a rally earlier, Modi had paid respects to the “sons of Bihar” who lost their lives in the clash with Chinese soldiers at the Line of Actual Control in June. “Sons of Bihar lost their lives in Galwan Valley for the tricolour and ensured Bharat Mata’s head is held high… I bow my head at their feet and pay respects.”
Twenty soldiers, including a commanding officer, were killed in the clash on 15 June. Many of them were from the Bihar Regiment.
Gandhi was speaking in Bihar’s Nawada district at a joint rally with RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, the Grand Alliance’s chief ministerial candidate.
During his speech, Gandhi asked Modi to tell the people when he would “throw out” the Chinese who have take 1,200 sq. km of Indian land.
“Don’t talk about bowing down here. Tell the people when you will throw out the Chinese who have invaded our territory,” Gandhi said. “When China has taken 1,200 sq. km of our land, PM Modi lied and said there is no one here.”
Also read: In his first Bihar rally, Narendra Modi shows Nitish Kumar his place
Alliance wary of reacting to BJP’s nationalism bait, say leaders
So far, the opposition alliance consciously avoided mentioning the China standoff in its campaign as it was wary of “playing into the hands of the BJP”.
“They have been trying to bait us repeatedly by bringing up Article 370, Kashmir, Pakistan, China. But we knew that by reacting to it, we will just fall into their trap as they want to make every election about nationalism,” said a Congress leader contesting the election.
A senior party leader reiterated the same, adding that “national issues are for national elections”.
“This is a state election, and there is a strong anti-incumbency wave against Nitish Kumar. We wanted our focus to remain on that and score points from that anger,” the senior leader said. “But because the PM and several BJP leaders have repeatedly mentioned China in their Bihar rallies, it became important that Rahul ji says something.”
So far, all mentions of the India-China clash and the slain Bihar Regiment soldiers had come from the BJP.
“I salute and bow in front of the mothers of bravehearts of Galwan Valley who not only made the Bihar but the entire country proud,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said while campaigning in Bihar Wednesday.
Union Minister of State (Home) Nityanand Rai had said armed forces used “their hands as weapons” to fight with China while speaking at another rally.
Tejashwi keeps up attack on Nitish Kumar
While Gandhi attacked the PM on the India-China standoff issue, Tejashwi Yadav questioned the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over issues of unemployment and poverty.
Speaking before Gandhi, Yadav said, “Nitish Kumar stayed inside the CM house for 144 days. But now he is out of his house. Why? Corona has not gone away, but he wants your vote so he has to step out.
“Did Nitish Kumar give you jobs in 15 years, did he eradicate poverty? What happened to the promise of government jobs?” he asked.
Yadav also said he “welcomes” Modi to Bihar, but added that the PM wouldn’t be able to handle Bihar anymore. “Modi ji aap thak chuke ho. Aapse Bihar sambhalne wala nahi (Modi ji you are tired, you can’t handle Bihar anymore),” he said.
Also read: The real Bihar election will begin after the results