Opinion

#LokSabhaElections2024 : Raise The Past To Avoid Questions On Present

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With the Lok Sabha 2024 polls slated to begin on April 19 – June 1 the election campaigns by parties and its top leaders have begun in full zest amidst the rising heat conditions.

And expectedly BJP and Congress have begun virtual slugfest on host of issues . The BJP which had often cited Indira Gandhi’s 1975 Emergency imposition and have wasted hardly a time in slamming the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for Kashmir has once again before the polls picked an old issue to target the grand old party – – Katchatheevu issue . For BJP – Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi are favourite punching bags  24 X7  with Godi media  happily obliging to the taunt and ridicule .

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hit out at the Congress . “Congress has done many blunders for which India has had to pay a heavy price, and so did our fishermen. The injustice meted out to Tamils in Sri Lanka, Katchatheevu issue and the difficulties faced by fishermen– the DMK and Congress are responsible for this,” he charged.

Rajnath Further reportedly said the Congress “gifted” the islet to Sri Lanka and accused the DMK also of being responsible for the struggles faced by Indian fishermen today, such as arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy. However, the BJP government ensured good diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka to give relief to the fishermen community.

Senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram hit back at the BJP in X and wrote , Before Mr Jaishankar and others make statements straining the relations between India and Sri Lanka, let them remember that there are 25 lakh Sri Lankan Tamils and 10 lakh Indian Tamils living in Sri Lanka Any untruthful and belligerent statement on Kachchatheevu after 50 years will bring the Sri Lankan government and the 35 lakh Tamils into confrontation

Let the government show its belligerence to China. Under the BJP government, China has occupied 2000 square km of Indian territory and is fortifying the area. China is on a re-naming spree and is merrily changing the names of villages and landmarks. Why is the Foreign Minister subdued in his response to the actions of China?

While Rajnath had trained his guns at the Congress , he has been conspicuously silent on the Chinese action . Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tagged a newspaper report which says – China carving out 175 more villages near Arunachal to which she in apparent dig wrote on X – “न कोई हमारी सीमा में घुसा, न ही पोस्ट किसी के कब्जे में है”

Manish Tewari , former I&B Minister and senior Congress leader reacted strongly to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent remarks on China naming some villages in Arunachal Pradesh . Jaishankar had dismissed the claims – This came after China released a fourth list containing 30 new names for different locations in the northeastern state.

“If today I change the name of your house, will it become mine? Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always be a state of India. Changing names does not have an effect…Our army is deployed there (Line of Actual Control)…” the minister was quoted by ANI as saying at a briefing in Gujarat’s Surat.

Tewari responded to EAM saying “EAM S Jaishankar gave a wonderful statement yesterday. He said, “If today I change the name of your house, will it become mine?”…Such a weak response does not suit the Government of India and the External Affairs Minister of the country…Those who have been espousing muscularity about Katchatheevu, it is unfortunate and regrettable that they are scared of even uttering the word China.”

Rajnath has been aggressive when it comes to terror form Pakistan as he said recently – “If terrorists from the neighbouring country try to disturb the peace in Bharat or try to carry out terror activities in Bharat, we will give them a befitting reply. (Koi bhi terrorist hamare parosi desh se yadi hamare Bharat ko disturb karneki koshish karega, yahan par yadi atankbadi harkate karega, toh uska muh tod jawab denge)” “If they run away to Pakistan, we will enter Pakistan to kill them (Yadi woh bhag kar Pakistan mein jayega, toh Pakistan mein ghus kar marenge).

But the Defence Minister appears to hit the mute button when it comes to China . Former BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanium Swamy has asked tough questions to government on China , Swamy wrote on X on April 4. 2024 , Today Delhi High Court directed the Central Government to file an affidavit on my Petition on how much land China has grabbed in Ladakh and Arunachal since 2020. Next date of hearing in July 29, 2024. Modi should cut his losses now and withdraw his “koyi aaya nahin” nonsense.

Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first Prime Minister passed on May 27, 1964 . Even after 60 years  BJP still  continues to attack and find flaws in his leadership . If all is well with China then why are  military level talks continuing with China over Ladakh to solve the border issue ?   Why Galwan  attack is  brazenly disposed off  and looked the other way with a  remark –  koyi aaya nahin  line.  Nehru of 1962 is past . Galwan, Ladakh are present .

On the night of June 14-15, 2020, the Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) engaged in deadly hand-to-hand combat in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh in the western sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between India and China. Soldiers attacked each other with iron rods and clubs, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers.

Yet BJP has the audacity to blame Nehru for China debacle. Godi media too have pressed the mute button and have avoided questions to government over it . Dekha nahi, suna nahi ( did not see, did not hear).  BJP MP from Karnataka  Tejasvi Surya in an interview slammed the Congress over compromising national security. The young MP  apparently it seems  has not looked at history  or shows ignorance. He would  be better off to know that it was under the  BJP led NDA  under Atal Bihari Vajpayee  that the symbol of India’s democracy Parliament  was attacked on 13, December 2001  and again there was security breach on same day on 13 December 2023 . The then home Minister in 2001 L K Advani addressed both houses of parliament on the issue. Current incumbent  Amit Shah chose not to do so. Instead of reply 150 plus opposition MP’s were suspended from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The anchor who interviewed   him runs a show Nation Wants To Know – did not have the guts or spine  ask the  BJP MP on this . Which party’s foreign minister accompanied dreaded terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar to kandahar  ? So all in all history when  looked back can be  a bitter pill to swallow even for the BJP . Let History remain history the sooner the better .

 

 

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