Op Sindoor debate in RS: EAM Jaishankar’s ‘China gurus’ jab at Opposition
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Wednesday derided and mocked the Opposition for ‘alerting’ the government about the China-Pakistan fusion, particularly during the recent military face-off under Operation Sindoor, thereby posing a grave threat to India’s national security.
Participating in the Operation Sindoor debate in the Rajya Sabha, the External Affairs Minister took a jibe at the Opposition members by claiming that some ‘China gurus’ are giving lectures to the government despite their own history of hobnobbing and discounting the dragon on several occasions.
Jaishankar’s response comes in the wake of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi sounding alarm bells over the “China-Pakistan fusion” and why the government needed to ‘wake up’ to the threats of the 21st century.
Without taking names, Jaishankar said, “There are China gurus on the other side, who mock my understanding of global perspective despite being one of the longest serving ambassadors,” eliciting cheers and applause from the treasury benches.
He dug out history to shed light on how the two neighbouring nations – Pakistan and China — came together and named several instances when they joined hands to corner India and also called out the previous Congress government’s ‘ignorance’ on issues of national security.
“Today, China gurus claim that China-Pakistan combo is a serious threat, but it all started with the giving away of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and then several strategic partnerships between them, including Pakistan-China treaty of China friendship (2005), Gwadar airport deal (2013),” he pointed out.
Further blaming the Congress-led dispensation for turning a blind eye to Hambantota port, he informed the House that the then government said it was ‘no matter of concern’ despite it posing as a strategic threat to India’s maritime security.
Responding sharply to P. Chidambaram’s question on what transpired during his recent China visit, the Minister took a swipe, saying, ‘unlike others, he didn’t discuss anything secretly’.
“We discussed terrorism, de-escalation, fostering relationship based on mutual respect and mutual trust and mutual sensitivity,” he said, highlighting the Modi government’s firm stance on foreign policy.
He also thanked all the members of the Parliament, including Shashi Tharoor, Kanimozhi and others who stood together and presented a united front during India’s diplomatic outreach after the operation, and exposed Pakistan’s brazen hand in global terror.