The Congress on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the reported "face-offs" with the Chinese Army in Arunachal Pradesh, saying there has been a "deafening silence" on it from him and his establishment, while the "self-styled vishwaguru's calibrated concessions" to China continue.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a media report which quoted Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapur as saying that in the past few-days, a situation arose "where face-off happened at several locations in Arunachal and it still continues".
The ITBP chief added that a new combat team, the Shaurya commandos, has been raised. This team displayed its skills during the "ongoing" faceoff with the Chinese PLA troops at multiple places in Arunachal Pradesh.
Kapur, who is set to retire from service on October 31, addressed his troops during an investiture ceremony held leading up to the force's 65th Raising Day on October 24.
There was no immediate response by the government or the BJP on the Congress' claims and allegations.
In his post on X, Ramesh said, "While the self-styled Vishwaguru's calibrated concessions to China continue, the DG, ITBP, has lauded --and rightly so -- its performance in recent face-offs with the PLA in Arunachal Pradesh, on which there has been a deafening silence from the PM and his establishment."
Corps commander talks were held at Wacha and Damai in Arunachal Pradesh last month after the Taksing face-off, Ramesh claimed.
"Locals had reported that patrolling points had been lost once again, as in Ladakh. China continues to rename our towns in Arunachal Pradesh and is building a 60,000-MW dam that threatens our ecological and water security," the Congress leader said.
He pointed out that India's trade deficit with China zoomed even further to a record USD 112 billion in 2025-26, up from USD 99 billion the previous year.
"This has simply crushed our MSMEs in many industries. Make in India has become Import from China. This staggering trade deficit is in itself a very significant threat to our economic security," Ramesh said.
"India has been paying the price for the PM's infamous clean chit to China on June 19, 2020, when he said, after 20 of our brave jawans had been martyred: 'Na koi wahan humari seema mein ghus aaya hai aur na hi koi ghusa hua hai, na hi humari koi post kisi doosre ke kabze mein hai'," Ramesh said.
He further said retired Chief of Army Staff, Gen. M M Naravane, has revealed that the only instructions he received while at the helm, when Chinese incursions took place in Ladakh, were --"jo uchit samjho woh karo".
On July 4, 2025, the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh, had spoken publicly on China's both intensively and extensively embedded role in Pakistan's military campaign during Operation Sindoor, Ramesh recalled.
"Yet, on August 25, 2026, the retired Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Anil Chauhan, publicly contradicted Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh's revelations and, soon thereafter, took over a think tank that is a key part of the RSS/BJP ecosystem," he said.
The Congress has in the past attacked the Modi government over its handling of ties with China and the "Chinese incursions". The government has in the past rejected the claims of the opposition.
The BJP had earlier accused the Congress of demoralising the morale of the armed forces.
ITBP prepares for Galwan-like battles
During his address, Kapur said that the force has raised drone platoons in all its border units, prepared a new 'Strike' course to better handle Galwan-like battles and is creating underground infrastructure along the front "in a big way" as part of the new warfare to counter India's "biggest adversary" China.
The entire force will undergo this training by the end of 2027.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), raised in 1962, guards the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
He said the China front was our "most difficult" border, and China was a "powerful" neighbour and India's "biggest adversary," requiring enhanced capabilities to "counter" it.
He informed the troops that a new course named 'Strike' has been developed to train ITBP personnel, which will enhance their to face Galwan-like situations.
What happened in galwan clash
Chinese soldiers used stones, nail-studded sticks, iron rods and clubs while carrying out brutal attacks on Indian soldiers along the LAC at Galwan (Ladakh) in June, 2020 resulting in 20 casualties on the Indian side while China belatedly claimed only 4 of its troops were killed. Multiple reports suggested that the Chinese fatalities were much higher.
These commandos will be in every border battalion and will give the force a distinct identity, he said.