New Delhi [India], July 30 : Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Centre, questioning its stance on the Shimla Agreement and its silence over US President Donald Trump's claims of "stopping the war."
Addressing a press conference, Chavan said, "The most important question is that in the Shimla Agreement, we had decided that there will be no third-party and two-party mediation, we will not decide, we will not accept it. Has the Indian government rejected the Shimla Agreement?"
He further questioned the government's silence on Trump's repeated claims. "Trump has said 29 times, yesterday he has said 20-30 times that I have stopped the war. Now you are saying that no leader has said anything. Why are you not speaking? You are shying away from taking names directly. The people of the entire country are watching. An American has been saying 30 times overnight that he has stopped the war, and you are taking risks by taking his name. See, a lot has been said, and there's still a lot to be done. Did you ever mention China? I want to take up another issue because of this," Chavan added.
Referring to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's remarks, Chavan said, "Rajnath Singh ji made a significant statement yesterday. On 22 February 1994, the Indian Parliament passed a resolution by consensus. The resolution was passed by the Indian Parliament. We will take back all the territory of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Yesterday, Rajnath ji said that we do not have any border dispute with Pakistan. He also rejected that regulation. Ladakh was also mentioned in it. With whom does Dada have a dispute? Is it with China? China and Pakistan, our land is on the border. The Parliament's proposal to take it back: have we dropped it, or will we not do it now? What did the Foreign Minister say at the wedding? How can I get back from China? It has a good economy, and I will have to talk to Pakistan."
Chavan also criticised External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's earlier comments on China. "What the foreign minister has said, how can I fight with China, which has an economy 5 times bigger, how can I fight, we will have to talk to them, Pakistan didn't think that India has an economy 11 times bigger than mine, our planes fell, the Rafale plane fell and no minister had the courage to take the name of the Rafale company, what is the fear, is the Prime Minister hurt by the price at which the planes were bought? The entire opposition was united in saying that this is a wrong deal, this deal was made, now those planes have fallen, first it was said that there is loss in a war, then after that C.I.P.," he said.