'PM Modi busy criticising Rahul Gandhi': Congress questions govt over ITBP director's remarks

New Delhi, October 23 (IANS) Congress leader Supriya Shrinate on Friday questioned the BJP-led Centre over the remarks made by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapur regarding China, saying that instead of shouldering responsibility, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "busy criticising" Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.A row erupted after ITBP Director General Shatrujeet Kapur on Thursday said that face-offs with Chinese troops had occurred at several locations along the border in Arunachal Pradesh in recent days and that the situation was continuing.Speaking to IANS, Supriya Shrinate accused the government of "bowing" in front of China."Despite our soldiers being martyred in Galwan, (China) was given clean chit. You (Indian government) speak China's language...the problem is that when ITBP director says that we have not yet become modernised at the level of China, whose responsibility it is? It is the Prime Minister's responsibility," she said.Referring to the ITBP director's remarks regarding face-offs with Chinese troops, Shrinate said: "The Prime Minister is busy criticising the Congress and Rahul Gandhi...his statements regarding national security is a blow to the defence forces."Adding to the criticism, CPI-M leader Hannan Mollah echoed that it is the government's responsibility to work towards resolving the matter."This (standoff) affects the lives and security of the common people of Arunachal Pradesh. They are unhappy. It is the government's responsibility to set things right. The public cannot do anything about issues between two countries... When they (leaders) sit together, they should try to resolve it through diplomatic and political means," Mollah said.However, CPI MP P. Sandosh Kumar said his party stands with the government and defence forces."Our territorial integrity must be protected at any cost. So, we stand with the Government of India and our forces. At the same time dialogue and discussion is the way out, so India should take the initiative...Bilateral discussions should be encouraged and no one should be allowed to escalate the tension," he told IANS.Meanwhile, former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) S.P. Vaid attempted to clarify the remarks of the ITBP chief, calling China a "bully".Speaking to IANS, he said: “What he (ITBP chief) meant was that face-offs are happening because China—their PLA and China's CCP—is a bully and that it bullies all its neighbours, including the 21 countries it shares borders with, wanting to grab everyone's land. We saw what happened in Ladakh a few years ago, so they keep doing such things. It doesn't mean they've occupied Indian land, but India is responding to a bully in the language it understands.”