New Delhi: Taking potshots at the Narendra Modi government over its talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Congress today said good relations are important but not at the cost of “security and dignity”.
Congress spokesperson Salman Khurshid also questioned why the NDA government ‘hid' Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju during the visit saying it was the best opportunity to show to the Chinese that a minister from Arunachal Pradesh, over which China claims authority, holds such an important portfolio.
The former External Affairs Minister said Modi should have raised the issue of Arunachal and dams on Brahmaputra more seriously.
“We should not be self conscious with China when it comes to our northeast and our citizens there. Our belief is that on this occasion, we should not have been afraid about Arunachal Pradesh. We should have said things clearly whether it was the visa policy or anything else,” he said.
“This was an opportunity when Minister of State for Home Affairs should have been brought to the front to show that we are proud that a minister from Arunachal is also at such an important role. Was it necessary to hide him or keep him behind? I think these questions should be answered,” he said.
Attacking the government for trying to “event manage” the visit, Khurshid said it is being projected as “enormously successful” but the fact was different.
“We want good relations but the important thing is our security and our dignity. Self respect is very important to us,” he said at the weekly press conference.
According to Khurshid, he was saying this now only because the “Chinese President has left”. Incidentally, a Congress delegation led by Sonia Gandhi today met Xi and discussed a number of issues including the border problems.
He said it was understandable that “big visits are event managed but it should not take away the substance” of what one need to do with the visit.
“The sad thing is that this visit is being projected as enormously successful even while the visit was taking place, there were unfortunate incidents of intrusion into Indian territories,” he said.
