LS: LoP Rahul questions govt on US tariffs; Chinese 'encroachment' of Indian territory

New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday raised the issue of alleged encroachment of Indian territory by China and the freshly imposed US tariffs on Indian exports, seeking answers on “what the government is going to do on these issues”.

Raising the issues in the House, LoP Gandhi accused the government of not taking a firm stand against foreigners and compromising with the interests of the country, claiming that the 26 per cent reciprocal tariff imposed by the US on India would “devastate our economy", more specifically the auto and pharmaceutical industry.

“They bow before every foreigner,” he said, recalling late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s statement on foreign policy that she stands straight as she was an Indian and did not lean left or right.

“It is a known fact that China is sitting on 4,000 sq km of our territory. I was shocked to see, sometime back, that our Foreign Secretary was cutting a cake with the Chinese Ambassador,” Rahul Gandhi said, wondering if it was a "celebration of our 20 soldiers’ supreme sacrifice."

“The question is, what exactly is happening to this territory,” LoP Gandhi said.

“We are not against normalcy but normalcy needs to be preceded by status quo. Our land should be restored to us,” LoP Gandhi added.

The Congress MP said that the Prime Minister and the President have written to the Chinese.

“It is not our own people but the Ambassador of China who is saying that the PM and the President have written letters,” LoP Gandhi said.

Rahul Gandhi added that foreign policy is about managing other countries, including the neighbouring ones.

“You have given China 4,000 sq km of land. On the other side, our ally US suddenly decides to impose 26 per cent tariff, which is going to devastate our economy," LoP Gandhi said.

--IANS

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