BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who has begun to devote most of his time criticising the BJP government at the centre has once again turned to Twitter to spread blatant lies, this time targeting Arunachal MP Tapir Gao. The Rajya Sabha MP took to Twitter to misquote Gao in order to promote his anti-Modi agenda by raking his ‘Chinese incursions along LAC in Ladakh’ rhetorics. Furthermore, when he was caught peddling the lie, he tried to give a ridiculous justification.
Today, the Arunachal MP responded to Swamy’s Tweet. He corrected Swamy by revealing that he had met the Rajya Saha MP and when he questioned him about Chinese intrusion he categorically told him that there has been no new incursion in the Modi regime. He also informed him that the status remains the same as it was after the 1962 war.
“I met @Swamy39 in Central Hall, Parliament on 2 Dec at 10:35 AM, when he asked about Chinese intrusion I told him that during 1962 war China occupied 2-3 locations during Congress regime but no fresh incursion has taken place during Modi regime; unfortunately he has misquoted me,” Tweeted the Arunachal Pradesh MP.
I met @Swamy39 in Central Hall,Parliament on 2 Dec at 10:35 AM, when he asked about Chinese intrusion I told him that during 1962 war China occupied 2-3 locations during Congress regime but no fresh incursion has taken place during Modi regime; unfortunately he has misquoted me. pic.twitter.com/INzi043u7K
— Tapir Gao (@TapirGao) December 3, 2021
The Arunachal MP was responding to Swamy’s December 2, Tweet in which he wrote: “Today I met Tapir Gao BJP LS MP of Arunachal. He told me AP people wanted that I also focus on Arunachal. He told me that China PLA has already crossed Macmahon Line in three parallel columns halfway down south of the State. Early next year I will go to AP.”
No sooner was Swamy reprimanded by the Arunachal MP for misquoting him, the former gave an extremely lame reply to justify his actions. He Tweeted that “did not state any date except to say that China had already occupied territory.” He further wrote: “Even if China had occupied it in 1962 and had built pucca villages thereafter why were we sleeping since 2014 and 18 one to one meetings? Was it ever raised with Xi?”
I did not state any date except to say that China had already occupied territory. Even if China had occupied it in 1962 and had built pucca villages thereafter why were we sleeping since 2014 and 18 one to one meetings? Was it ever raised with Xi?
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) December 3, 2021
Swamy offered no explanation as to why he had misquoted the Arunachal Pradesh MP.
It is pertinent to note that Swamy had categorically said in his tweet that Gao had asked him to get involved in Arunachal Pradesh claiming that he had said that people of Arunachal wanted Swamy to focus in the state. He insinuated that Gao had said that PLA had crossed the parallel columns halfway down south of the state recently.
While defending himself, he said that Gao had not mentioned a “date” which seems like an untenable explanation given that Gao said specifically that he mentioned “Congress regime”. Even if we consider this as miscommunication, it does not explain why Swamy lied and claimed that Gao had told him that the people of Arunachal Pradesh want him to personally get involved.
For months now, Swamy has been increasingly critical of the BJP government at the centre. It was widely rumoured that Swamy was coveting the post of Finance Minister ever since the BJP formed its government at the Centre in 2014. However, he was persistently denied the post, following which he started voicing his criticism against the central government. The Chinese incursion rhetorics is his latest barb to attack the Modi government.
Putting all such aspersion to rest, Arunachal Pradesh CM on Thursday again clarified that China hasn’t built any villages in Arunachal Pradesh and any development work undertaken by the neighbouring country has been on the Chinese side of the border.
Subramanian Swamy singing similar tune of the Congress and many leftist media outlets
Interestingly, Swamy’s fabrication coincides with that of the Congress party and some leftist media outlets, that have been peddling the same lie for months now.
In January, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi had made similar claims about the Chinese forces occupying Indian territory. He had shared a Hindi newspaper cutting which claimed that the Chinese forces had established a village in the State of Arunachal Pradesh.
Rahul Gandhi had raised the matter in January after NDTV had made the claim for the first time in January.
Similarly, a news portal East Mojo had reported that amidst high tension at the LAC in Ladakh, the villagers near the McMahon Line in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh have been vacating their homes.
HW News Network, which has a history of peddling fake news, also shared similar news.
Last month, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed the Congress party and a ‘mischievous media’ house for claiming that China has built a village inside the territory of Arunachal Pradesh.
The comments by Kiren Rijiju came at the backdrop of a tweet by the Congress party wherein they claimed that China has built an entire village within the territory of India. The grand-old party had tweeted on Saturday (November 6), “China built a village in Arunachal Pradesh which can act as a military base. One among several such villages across the LAC.”
