Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday slammed Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi for his comments on China, accusing him of praising the country more than a Chinese spokesperson. Rijiju further called for an apology from Gandhi, suggesting he take responsibility for the land China annexed from India during the 1959 and 1962 conflicts, when Gandhi’s grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, was Prime Minister.
The minister also warned that any unsubstantiated remarks by the LoP should be properly verified, or appropriate action would be taken to preserve the dignity of Parliament.
Rijiju raised concerns over Rahul Gandhi’s speech, pointing out that the Speaker of the Lok Sabha had asked Gandhi four times to authenticate his claims, yet the LoP continued speaking without providing necessary evidence and left the House. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Rijiju said, “The LoP spoke today and did not authenticate his claims, despite the Speaker’s request. A responsible LoP should present statements carefully. If we disregard this, any future LoP could make baseless remarks and leave. He must substantiate what he said, or the Chair should take action.”
Rijiju continued, “Rahul Gandhi praised China more than a Chinese spokesperson today. He should apologize for all the land China took from India in 1959 and 1962, during his grandfather’s tenure as Prime Minister.” He added, “This is India’s Parliament, and we will not tolerate any disrespect to our nation here.”
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also launched a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, accusing him of conspiring to divide the country with foreign support. Dubey claimed that Gandhi had misrepresented India’s economic policies, particularly regarding the country’s manufacturing sector, and spread falsehoods.
Dubey cited trade agreements signed under the Congress-led UPA government, alleging they had weakened Indian industries and favored China. “Under P Chidambaram’s tenure as Commerce Minister, India signed ITA 1 with only 14 countries, excluding China. However, the agreement was later revised under pressure from the European Union to grant zero percent duty on all Chinese products, including toys, gadgets, and accessories,” Dubey said.
He accused the previous government of “selling out the country,” claiming that this deal harmed India’s manufacturing sector while benefiting China. Dubey also noted that after 2014, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India chose not to join ITA 2, aligning instead with the “Make in India” initiative to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on Chinese imports.
Dubey challenged Rahul Gandhi to prove that Prime Minister Modi had not supported India’s manufacturing growth or failed to foster competition with China. “If you cannot verify your claims, apologize to the nation for the harm you’ve caused to the Prime Minister’s credibility,” Dubey demanded, accusing Gandhi of representing China’s interests.
These comments came after Rahul Gandhi’s speech in the Lok Sabha, during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s Address. Gandhi had alleged that the Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative failed to revive the manufacturing sector, pointing out that the share of manufacturing in India’s GDP had dropped from 15.3% in 2014 to 12.6%, the lowest in 60 years.
Gandhi also called for a caste census and discussed the potential of artificial intelligence in data collection. He further emphasized the need to boost manufacturing to compete with China, noting that China had a ten-year lead in key sectors like batteries, robotics, and optics.
Despite the setback, Gandhi suggested India could catch up with China through the right vision, including realigning education, mobilizing finance, and revising trade and foreign policies. He warned that India’s dependence on Chinese imports, such as motors and batteries, posed a national security risk, saying, “Wars today are fought between industrial systems, not just armies.”
Gandhi also criticized India’s handling of its consumption and production data, suggesting that the country had handed over valuable information to foreign companies without leveraging it for domestic production. His remarks were met with strong opposition from BJP members, and the Speaker asked Gandhi to substantiate his allegations.
Kiren Rijiju responded by accusing Gandhi of spreading lies and using “frivolous language,” stating that such conduct was inappropriate for someone holding the position of LoP.
