National security jeopardised: Rahul attacks Centre

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the Centre and said 'India deserved better as national security massively jeopardised by wasteful talks with China'.

He said in a tweet, "Chinese occupation of Gogra, Hot Springs and Depsang Plains is a direct threat to India's strategic interests including the DBO airstrip."

"National security massively jeopardised by GOI's wasteful talks. Our nation deserves better," added Rahul.

Congress on Sunday had accused the Narendra Modi government of "surrendering" India's strategic interests to China and "woefully compromising" national security, citing reports that China has refused to pull back its troops from Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang Plains during the last round of Corps Commander-level talks held on April 9.

"How does the Modi government plan to ensure the status quo ante as on April 2020? After the failure of the military talks with China and compromising our territorial integrity, what plan does the Modi Government have to take back our territory from China? PM Modi must answer," party General Secretary Ajay Maken asked in a statement.

Maken had said that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had told Parliament on February 13 that the "remaining friction points, including the strategic Depsang Plains, would be taken up for discussion in the next round of military talks", but now China has "gone back on its assurances and reportedly asserted that 'India should be happy of what it has achieved'".

This is nothing, but an attack on India's territorial integrity, he said.