“Was our economy very big…” Rahul Gandhi on EAM Jaishankar’s remark on China

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], February 26 (ANI): Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday questioned External Affairs S Jaishankar’s recent remarks on the size of the Chinese economy, asking the minister if India’s economy was big when the country was fighting with the Britishers.

“EAM said in an interview that India has a smaller economy than China, so how can we fight them? Was our economy very big when we were fighting the Britishers?” Gandhi said while addressing the third and final day of the party’s ongoing Plenary session in Raipur.
Terming it “cowardice”, Gandhi said, “It is not nationalism but cowardice.”

“Savarkar’s ideology is to bow before the one who is stronger than you. The minister has said on China that we cannot fight them as their economy is bigger than ours. Is this nationalism? It’s cowardice,” the Wayanad MP said.

“Our fight for freedom was against the East India Company, which seized our resources and wealth, including ports. Now, history is repeating itself. The Congress will always stand and fight against anything that goes against the country,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi was referring to Jaishankar’s recent interview with ANI where the EAM spoke about the border issue with China at length, saying, “China was a bigger economy and India was responding to the situation that China created along the LAC, in Ladakh, by violating border agreements.”

“They are the bigger economy, what I am going to do? I am a smaller economy. Am I going to sort of pick up a fight with a bigger economy? It is not a question of reacting. It is a question of common sense. It is in our interest to stabilise our borders or a situation, it is not out of love affection or sentiment,” he had said.

Jaishankar said border agreements had helped stabilise the situation till they were violated by China.

There had been a standoff at the LAC in Ladakh following the aggressive actions of the Chinese Army. The two countries held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks for disengagement from some friction points.

The high level of troop deployment by China continues for which India has taken counter steps.