NEW DELHI, Oct 23: The Congress on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over reported face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh, accusing the Centre of maintaining silence on the developments.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh cited a media report quoting Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapur as saying that face-offs had occurred at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh in recent days and that the situation remained ongoing.
In a post on X, Ramesh accused Modi and his administration of maintaining a “deafening silence” over the reported incidents. He alleged that India had made concessions to China and raised concerns over border patrolling, China’s renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh and the construction of a major dam by Beijing.
Ramesh claimed that corps commander-level talks had taken place at Wacha and Damai in Arunachal Pradesh last month following a face-off at Taksing. He also said local residents had reported losing access to patrolling points, drawing parallels with developments in Ladakh.
The Congress leader cited India’s reported trade deficit with China, which he said had reached a record USD 112 billion in 2025–26, up from USD 99 billion in the previous financial year. He argued that the widening deficit threatened India’s economic security and affected micro, small and medium enterprises.
Ramesh also criticised Modi over his remarks on the India-China border situation in June 2020 and referred to statements by former Army Chief General M. M. Naravane about the instructions he received during the Ladakh crisis.
He further cited remarks by Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Rahul Singh concerning China’s role during Pakistan’s military campaign in Operation Sindoor. Ramesh alleged that retired Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan subsequently contradicted those remarks.
There was no immediate response from the government or the BJP to the Congress’s latest allegations. The government has previously rejected opposition claims regarding Chinese incursions, while the BJP has accused the Congress of demoralising the armed forces.
The reported face-offs and the claims raised by the Congress could not be independently verified from the information available.
