The ruling party has directed its central leadership to “refrain” from making any comments on the border confrontation with China.
India has taken a call to not raise the rhetoric on China and the current border stand-off, with even the ruling party ensuring that its central leadership does not comment on what is being seen as a developing diplomatic situation.
Indian troops remain at the stand-off site at Doklam on the China-Bhutan border, preventing the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from constructing a road that would give them access to the disputed area.
Sources in the BJP said that those tasked to comment on such issues have been directed to “refrain” from making any comments on the China situation – be it Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with the Chinese ambassador or the border standoff.
Reached for comment, several BJP leaders said that the situation is developing and it is not the right time for them to speak about it. While Beijing has been taking a public stand on the confrontation, India has been measured in its comments.
Responding to questions on why the BJP is being cautious in its statements on China, a senior leader told ThePrint that the party is in the process of chalking out a strategy and may be willing to comment after all are briefed on the interactions that recently took place between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G-20 Summit in Hamburg.
Vijay Chauthaiwale, who is in-charge of foreign affairs in the party, was the only leader to speak on what he said was the “confused state” of the Congress with reference to Rahul’s meeting the Chinese ambassador.
“We are not bothered about his meeting but he should in the nation’s interest come out with the details of the meeting. He should have briefed MEA as per protocol. And two days back he tweeted that Modi is weak and whether this tweet is influenced by his meeting with the Chinese…we don’t expect the Chinese ambassador to explain himself but Rahul and Congress should at least explain why they first denied having met China’s ambassador and later confessed,” Chauthaiwale said.
The other BJP leader who has spoken about the China row is Ram Madhav, national general secretary of the party and a China expert, who told a news agency that it is important to quieten the situation.
Photo: File pix of Indian and Chinese army officers meeting at the border.