After China blocked the move to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist for the 4th time, Rahul Gandhi took the opportunity to take a swipe at the BJP’s foreign policy and called PM Narendra Modi a weak PM who is fearful of Chinese Premier Xi Jinping. In response to this, the BJP convened a press brief, slamming Rahul Gandhi for using the sensitive issue of national security to further his petty politics. BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad took the attack on Congress alleging that India is still enduring the mistakes committed by the Gandhi family.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Rahul Gandhi’s tweet after China blocks India’s bid to designate JeM Chief Masood Azhar as global terrorist in UNSC 1267 list: Would the Congress party adopt a different voice even in case of a cruel killer & a global terrorist Masood Azhar? pic.twitter.com/tDFIeRQfDz
— ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2019
Citing former Congress Minister Shashi Tharoor’s latest book, RS Prasad asserted that members of Rahul Gandhi’s family were responsible for China getting a place on UNSC. Prasad lashed out at the Congress President Rahul Gandhi, claiming that he was hobnobbing with the Chinese during the heights of Doklam tension, secretly meeting with their ministers on his visit to Kailash Mansarovar. Prasad said if Rahul is so thick with the Chinese, why didn’t he ask them to not block move on Masood Azhar in UNSC.
The Law Minister asked “Will the Congress have a differing view even in the case of a brutal killer and a global terrorist like Masood Azhar? From Rahul Gandhi’s tweet, it seems that he is happy about this. Whenever India is suffering, why is Rahul happy? Rahul Gandhi’s tweet will be read happily and celebrated with great interest in Jaish’s office. Congress is not serious in the fight against terrorism.”
Asserting that Rahul’s enjoys good relations with China, Prasad questioned him if he had posted similar kind of tweet when China had made the same technical objection to enlist Masood Azhar in the global terrorist list in 2009. Prasad said, “Rahul gets happy when Masood is rescued by China. China today is a member of the Security Council because of your legacy. It was Jawaharlal Nehru who suggested UNSC seat which was then held by Taiwan be given to China.”
Insightful read on how Jawaharlal Nehru compromised India’s interest with respect to UNSC. May be Rahul Gandhi should read before he tweets.
Excerpt from his letter dated Aug 2, 1955. Source: ‘Letters for a Nation: From Jawaharlal Nehru to His Chief Ministers 1947-1963’. pic.twitter.com/eMthTobAO7
— BJP (@BJP4India) March 14, 2019
BJP contended that Jawaharlal Nehru compromised India’s interest with regard to UNSC. Citing Nehru’s letter to the then Chief Ministers, BJP said that Nehru relinquished India’s rightful claim to UNSC seat to China.
In the letter, Jawaharlal Nehru had informed the Chief Ministers that the US had recommended that China should be included in UN but not in the United Nation Security Council, and that India should take its place in UNSC. He wrote that “we cannot of course accept this as it means falling out with China and it would be very unfair for a great country like China not to be in the Security Council”. The then PM also said India is not anxious to enter the Security Council at this stage. He said that the first step to be taken was for China to take her rightful place and then the question of India might be considered separately.
It may be noted that China is able to block the move to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist because it has veto power as one of the five permanent members of the security council. Had Jawaharlal Nehru accepted the offer of the US, India would have been a permanent member and not China.
