A section of Indian media was hyped up for what the Congress has planned as short videos of the young leader, Rahul Gandhi, giving his two bits on matters of national importance. Reportedly part of a curated series, the youth leader was yesterday seen talking about the Indo-China conflict, and what circumstances had led to China getting excessively belligerent along the Line of Actual Control. According to Rahul Gandhi, a crumbling foreign policy and a dilapidating economy were the major reasons.
Rahul Gandhi opined that India’s foreign policy under the Modi government had become ‘transactional’ in nature. He said that while relations with the US and European Union had become ‘transactional’, India had also ‘disturbed’ ties with Russia. Further, the young and dynamic leader, well-versed with strategic and geopolitical affairs, said that we had soured ties with neighbors in the region. “Today, Nepal is angry with us. If you go to Nepal and you speak to the Nepalese people, they are furious with what has happened. Sri Lankans have given a port to the Chinese. The Maldives is disturbed. Bhutan is disturbed. So, we have disrupted our foreign partners, we’ve disrupted our neighbourhood.”
https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1284002386806095872?s=20
There has to be a limit to one’s lies and fabricated narratives, perhaps spoon-fed to the person in question by his loyal courtiers. Therefore, when Dr. S Jaishankar, India’s Foreign Minister, himself took to Twitter to debunk each of Rahul’s false assertions about foreign policy and our relationship in the neighbourhood, the Congress lost whatever face it had remaining. To begin with, Jaishankar, who is a technocrat par excellence in the field himself, debunked lies of Congress’ courtiers, who attempted to portray India’s foreign relations being transactional in nature.
•We speak our mind more openly now. On #CPEC, on #BRI, on South China Sea, on UN-sanctioned terrorists, etc.
Ask the media.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) July 17, 2020
As a matter of fact, it takes common sense to understand that India’s stature worldwide, and the respectability it commands, has grown comprehensively under the Modi government. India has strategic partnerships with both the US, as well as Russia, and knows how to balance both under PM Modi. As a result, when India purchases the mighty S-400 Triumph from Russia, the US, after initial outrage, calms down. Even in the wake of the Indo-China conflict along the LAC, India placed an order of MiG-29 and Su-30 MKI fighter jets from Russia, apart from successfully conveying to the Russians that the delivery of S-400 Triumph systems must be expedited tremendously. Such emergency purchases invited no reactions from the US, demonstrating the depth of India’s relations with both Russia, as well as the US.
Meanwhile, even as Rahul Gandhi forgot to mention the rate of border infrastructure development during his family rule over India, Jaishankar reminded him of the same yesterday. The Foreign Minister, speaking of the rate of border infrastructure development under the present government, said, “Compare 2014-20 with 2008-14. Budget up by 280%, road building by 32%, bridges by 99% and tunnels by 6 times.” While Gandhi did not say so, or was not trained to say so, a major reason why China is acting belligerent along the LAC is due to the Modi government’s relentless efforts at enhancing border infrastructure, which is bringing the two giants at a power symmetry, perhaps for the first time ever.
• And address the #border infrastructure imbalance legacy. Compare 2014-20 with 2008-14. Budget up by 280%, road building by 32%, bridges by 99% and tunnels by 6 times.
Ask our Jawans.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) July 17, 2020
As for India’s relations with its neighbours, who might be acting out of their minds presently, Rahul Gandhi also did not dare speak about Chinese influence, and their involvement in the same. Barring Nepal, there is nobody acting mysteriously in India’s neighbourhood, and why Nepal is doing so is a subject of public knowledge. Rahul Gandhi also made a passing reference to the involvement of the Chinese in Sri Lankan ports, while completely forgetting about the Hambantota fiasco which happened under the UPA’s nose.
•Difficult ties with #Maldives, after India watched President Nasheed being toppled in 2012, now stand transformed.
Ask our businesses.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) July 17, 2020
•#Nepal after 17 years is getting Prime Ministerial visits. And a swathe of developmental projects: power, fuel, housing, hospital, roads, etc.
Ask their citizens.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) July 17, 2020
•#Afghanistan sees completed projects (Salma Dam, Parliament), expanded training and serious connectivity.
Ask the Afghan street.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) July 17, 2020
Interestingly, in his thread, Dr. S Jaishankar mentioned the South China Sea, BRI and CPEC, all of which are topics relating to China. While China’s offer to India, for joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was rejected by the Modi government, our stand on PoK has also been made amply clear. That CPEC infringes upon Indian territory, and is an attempt to change equations in PoK is known to all. As such, India, only a few days ago, took up the issue of South China Sea and increasing Chinese aggression in the region, and said that South China Sea was part of “global commons”, effectively rejecting Chinese unilateral claims of sovereignty over 90 percent of the international waters.
Jaishankar’s last tweet, on Pakistan, is bound to give the Congress and its scriptwriters multiple sleepless nights, for it was a brutal takedown of the UPA’s impotent handling of Pakistan, even in the wake of 26/11 attacks.
•And #Pakistan (that you skipped) surely notes the difference between Balakot & Uri on the one hand, and Sharm-el-Sheikh, Havana & 26/11 on the other.
Ask yourself.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) July 17, 2020
Rahul Gandhi, and those who may have written his script for the short video, were for sure not expecting a thunderous rebuttal by the country’s foreign minister himself. The Congress would be well advised to produce better scripts for the former and future party president, for subsequent videos.
