Congress slams Khandu's 'transgression' remark: 'Nothing normal about this'

The Congress has attacked Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu over his remark that Chinese "transgressions" along the state's border are nothing new, accusing the BJP of normalising Chinese actions on the frontier.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X on Friday that Khandu had dismissed reports of Chinese incursions at Taksing only this summer, but now accepted that "no doubt transgression has happened" while treating it as routine.

What Khandu said

Speaking to reporters in Tawang on Thursday before the opening of the 14th International Tourism Mart, Khandu said the situation on the border was normal and the armed forces were guarding it well. He said China does not recognise the McMahon Line, that Arunachal shares a border of nearly 1,200 km with Tibet, and that because the line is not demarcated, "transgression" keeps happening and is not new. He described the face-offs as transgressions rather than intrusions.

The Congress response

Ramesh said the Chief Minister made the remarks a week after Indo-Tibetan Border Police Director General Shatrujeet Kapur confirmed face-offs at several locations in Arunachal, some of which, Ramesh said, were still going on. He said corps commander-level talks had to be held at Wacha-Damai in September after the Taksing face-off.

"Instead of asserting India's position, BJP leaders are rationalising Chinese actions," Ramesh said, adding that "nothing about this is normal." He also claimed that local people reported People's Liberation Army camps on the Indian side and the loss of patrolling points, and criticised the Centre's trade ties with China, pointing to what he called a record USD 112.6 billion trade deficit.

The Congress separately accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a "deafening silence" over the reported face-offs.

The government's position

The Centre has in the past rejected opposition claims about Chinese incursions, and the BJP has accused the Congress of demoralising the armed forces.

The row is the latest in a series of political exchanges over the India-China frontier in Arunachal, where China also objects to Indian projects and leaders' visits and has repeatedly issued its own names for places in the state. It also comes as Arunachal hosts the International Tourism Mart in Tawang to promote the region to tourists and investors.