Even before the India-China standoff at Ladakh began last year, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy had been warning the government to be wary of the threat from Beijing.
Swamy had been critical of the Narendra Modi government's alleged lack of transparency in revealing the nature of Chinese activity in Ladakh and had called on India to be ready to evict Chinese forces.
Last week, while speaking at a book release event, Swamy declared India should be ready to go to war with China over the border dispute. Swamy said, "My view is that India should tell the Chinese that if you are not going to go back to what was the original position in 1993, we will go to war with you. We need a battle with the Chinese unless they voluntarily agree to withdraw... teach China a lesson that we are no more the India of 1962."
Not surprisingly, the comments caused a flutter. On Sunday, the editor in-chief of the Global Times, a Chinese state-run tabloid, took issue with Swamy's comments. Hu Xijin has previously tweeted on the standoff with China, supporting Beijing's strident line.
Tweeting an image of a news article of Swamy's comments, Hu referred to the BJP leader as "so mad" and claimed the Chinese army was on its own territory.
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Hu tweeted," PLA is stationed on China's own territory. This Indian politician is so mad, and the Indian political system always mass produces such madmen. Today's India is indeed not the India of 1962. Today, India's GDP is 1/5 of China's GDP, and the two were roughly the same at that time."
However, Swamy did not hesitate to respond to Hu. Swamy tweeted on Monday, "If you say Depsang is Chinese territory then you are certified insane. In 1993 LAC drawn shows Depsang was mutually agreed as part of India. As for Chinese GDP, the PPP valuation accepted by UN Statistical Office is much less. Chinese yuan of 7 per US $ is grossly is overvalued."
In addition to the threat of China emanating from the standoff at Ladakh, Swamy has been warning of an axis developing between the Taliban, Pakistan and China. Swamy had claimed recently the three nationĀ could attack India in a year.
