New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on fresh revelations that India took two huge loans from the Beijing-based Asian infrastructure investment bank, in which China is the largest shareholder in May and June this year, when the country was engaged in a stand-off with China on the India-China border in Ladakh.
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Mr Gandhi posted, 'Understand the chronology:
PM said- no one crossed the border.
Then, took a huge loan from a China-based bank
Then, Def Min said- China occupied our land
Now, MOS Home says- there’s no infiltration.
Is Modi Govt with Indian Army or with China?Modi ji, why so scared?'.
Mr Gandhi's attack on the government came shortly after the Congress attacked the Modi government for taking loans to the tune of 750 USD (Rs 5,521 crore) from the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), to provide financial support to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), a scheme launched to help the poor hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when the armed forces were fighting the People's Liberation Army of China in eastern Ladakh.
Addressing reporters outside the Parliament House complex, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the fresh revelations expose the duplicity of the government in handling Chinese aggression.
'Two shocking revelations expose the lies, double speak, hoodwinking and hypocrisy of the Narendra Modi-led government on the issue of the ongoing border tensions with China on the eastern border in area such as South Pangong, Razun La and the finger area.
'The government accepted in the House yesterday that India took two loans amounting to Rs 9202 crore from Beijing-based multilateral development bank called the Asian infrastructure investment bank.
The Asian infrastructure investment bank was formed in 2016, headquartered in Beijing. With 26.6 per cent voting share, China is the largest shareholder of the bank. The first loan of 500 million dollars was taken on May 8, amid reports of Chinese incursions at multiple points in eastern Ladakh, including the Pangong lake.
'The second loan of 750 million Dollars was taken on June 19; 4 days after the Galwan massacre, where we lost 20 of our brave hearts. Incidentally, it was also the same day, when Prime Minister Modi lied to the country by saying that no one had entered our territory.
'The much-touted policy of the Modi government of cracking down on Chinese business relationships with India stands exposed today. The nation is shocked at such brazen duplicity of the Modi government in handling China's territorial aggression,' Mr Khera said.
'We would like to ask Mr Jaishankar, whether he still stands by his statement, where he said that 'there cannot be business as usual in the face of Chinese attempts to unilaterally changing the facts on the ground along the border',' he added.
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