Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi have sparred over China, with Gandhi accusing the government of lying about Chinese intrusion in Ladakh and Trivedi questioning Gandhi’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Gandhi, who is on a visit to Ladakh, said on Friday that China has taken away Indian land in the region. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of lying about the issue, saying that Modi had claimed that not even an inch of Ladakh had been taken by China.
Trivedi responded by questioning Gandhi’s ties to China. He asked whether Gandhi was paying back to the grant received by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, which is named after Gandhi’s father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has received donations from Chinese companies in the past.
Trivedi also claimed that China is passing through its worst diplomatic isolation since the Tiananmen Square massacre. He said that this is due to the government’s policies, which have alienated China’s neighbors.
Gandhi has denied having any ties to China. He has said that he is only interested in protecting India’s interests.
The spat between Gandhi and Trivedi is the latest in a series of exchanges between the two leaders over China. In the past, Gandhi has accused the government of being soft on China, while Trivedi has accused Gandhi of being a Chinese stooge.
