Congress raises issue of reported Chinese construction near Doklam

The Congress on Monday asked the government as to what steps it has taken to counter the "Chinese aggression" at the border.

Referring to reports claiming that China has built a village and a road within Bhutanese territory near Doklam, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the move threatens the Siliguri corridor, which can lead to the isolation of Northeast from the mainland. 

"The government's silence is enabling the Chinese aggression," he alleged.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also tagged a media report in this regard and said, "China's geopolitical strategy cannot be countered by a PR driven media strategy. This simple fact seems to elude the minds of those running GOI."

 Khera said the "silence" of the GOI on developments related to China has been "deafening".

 "Why is there no acknowledgment of the fact that we are now caught up in multi-border tension," he said. 

 The Congress leader said over the past few days, certain satellite images accessed of the Doklam region have raised concerns in the minds of every patriotic Indian. 

 "Did the government have any intelligence report regarding this construction? If yes, what steps have they taken to counter this aggression," Khera asked.

 He said satellite images have revealed that the Chinese have built a small village or settlement inside Bhutanese territory and merely 10 km away from the 2017 Doklam clash site. In addition to this road, a 9 km long road has also been built, he said. 

 Noting that the implications of the development are multifaceted, he alleged, "This is the clear failure of the central government to stop the Chinese from undertaking such complex construction work near the disputed site." PTI SKC RT 11232204