Rajnath Singh questions Border Defence Cooperation Agreement with China

Indore: BJP demanded an explanation from the Centre on the issue of Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) that India had inked with China recently and alleged a number of its conditions were against the interest of the country.

"Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang had inked a pact on Border Defence Cooperation Agreement on October 23. Under Article six of the agreement, if Chinese forces entered into Indian side while patrolling, then India will not be able to push them back, which means that Indian forces will not be able to chase them," BJP Presidednt Rajnath Singh told reporters in Indore.

The BJP leader arrived here to campaign in Malwa Nimar region ahead of the November 25 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.

"According to another condition of the agreement, India will not be able to create any basic infrastructure for defence purpose on the India-China border," he said and asked whether India's surveillance planes will have to seek permission from China before flying.

The BJP President said India, instead of getting strategic advantage at diplomatic level in the matter, is in a situation where it may face strategic losses because of certain conditions of the agreement.

Rajnath also criticised the Prime Minister for not taking into confidence Parliament and the Opposition before signing such an important agreement and said he (the PM) must tell the nation that why he did not build up a prior consensus on the issue.

When China did not even respect the Line of Actual Control, then there was no point in signing BDCA agreement with it on the issue, he expressed.

Referring to Daulat Beg Oldi sector where Chinese forces had remained stationed for 21 days by setting up tents, he said "I don't know what kind of a deal took place that while their (Chinese) forces went back, Indian government has ensured demolition of its own bunkers."

Rajnath Singh also expressed strong reservations on the issue of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's advisor Sartaj Aziz's meeting with Kashmir's separatist forces groups in New Delhi.

"Sartaj had given prior message that he will talk to Kashmir's separatists in New Delhi. This meeting was against the standards of international diplomatic norms and despite that I don't know why Indian government had given permission for it," he said.

The BJP President also said he considers the "economic corridor" being developed between China and Pakistan as a "defence corridor" and demanded from the Centre to give its reaction on the issue.

Later, Rajnath Singh addressed two poll meetings at Khandwa and Dhar in support of BJP candidates Devendra Verma and Neena Verma respectively.

While praising Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's development-oriented policies, he criticised the Centre for the rising inflation and corruption.

He also charged Congress with dividing the country on communal lines for the sake of its vote-bank politics and asked the Muslim community to remain alert on the issue.