‘Enough clean chits to China’: Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress questions PM Modi over security, trade

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over India’s national and economic security in relation to China, citing reported ongoing face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh and the widening trade deficit between the two countries.

“Enough clean chits to China. PM Modi must come clean before India!” Kharge said in a post on X, accusing the government of “keeping the nation in the dark” over border security.

Kharge’s remarks came after Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) director general Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor said on Friday that face-offs with Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops were continuing at multiple locations along the Arunachal Pradesh border. The developments follow reports of face-offs in the Taksing area and Corps Commander-level talks held at the Wacha-Damai border meeting point to address tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In his post, Kharge referred to reports of Chinese incursions near Taksing in August and questioned whether India’s patrolling access had been compromised. He also asked whether the confrontations signalled the possibility of another serious border crisis after the Galwan clash in June 2020, in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.

“Has India’s patrolling access been compromised? Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India. Why is the nation being kept in the dark?” Kharge questioned.

Since July, there have been reports of a standoff with Chinese troops in the remote Taksin area of Upper Subansiri district. Asked about this in a press conference in August, foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the state of border affairs has ramifications for overall India-China ties, adding that the two sides have agreed to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to “avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation” along the border.

Kharge's concern

Raising concerns over India’s trade relationship with China, Kharge said, “Chinese imports have surged 102 per cent, while India's trade deficit with China has ballooned 155 per cent to $112.16 billion. Even Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman admits China obstructs Indian exports.”

He questioned the government’s reported moves to ease investment restrictions and consider production-linked incentive (PLI) benefits for eligible China-linked ventures. “Has Make in India become Import from China?” he asked.

Kharge also questioned the outcomes of India’s diplomatic engagements with Beijing, saying, “What tangible results have these engagements delivered? Have India’s pre-May 2020 patrolling rights been fully restored?”

The government has in the past rejected the Congress's allegations of bowing down to Beijing, saying it was committed to protecting India's borders.

At the same time, BJP functionaries have accused the Congress of politicising national security issues. They have also hit back at the opposition party, saying Jawaharlal Nehru ceded ground to China.

India and China have attempted to rebuild their relationship after reaching an understanding in October 2024 to end a military standoff in Ladakh that lasted more than four years and took ties to a six-decade low. Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first visit to India in seven years to attend the BRICS Summit on September 12-13, and held a bilateral meeting with PM Modi to review ties.

Speaking at an Asia Society event in New York in late September, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said India-China ties were better today than they were a couple of years ago.

Congress criticism

Congress criticised PM Modi for meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit while face-offs were reportedly ongoing along the Arunachal Pradesh border. Kharge, meanwhile, said national security demanded accountability rather than what he termed “diplomatic photo opportunities” and “Hugplomacy”.

“Imagine—one side, China was clashing with our soldiers; on the other, Modi was welcoming China’s president. It’s like rubbing salt in the wounds of our soldiers,” the party said on their official X handle.

“Sometimes giving China a clean chit, sometimes abandoning control of patrolling points and the country's land. This weak Prime Minister has caused immense damage to the country,” the party added.