Congress stages walkout demanding discussion on military standoff at border

New Delhi: The issue of the India-China clash on the line of actual control (LAC) in Tawang sector once again rocked the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as the Opposition parties, including Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, staged a walkout demanding a discussion on the military standoff at the border.

In retort, the government cited past instances when the UPA government had denied deliberations in the House on such matters and said it was not good to rake up sensitive issues politically.

Leaders of various Opposition parties also staged a protest near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Parliament complex to demand a discussion on the border tensions between India and China.

Mrs Gandhi led the protest. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, among others, took part in the protest.

MPs from other Opposition parties, including the CPI, CPI(M), RJD, JDU, Shiv Sena, DMK and NCP, also joined the protest outside the House and raised anti-government slogans. They said the government will have to answer questions in Parliament on Chinese transgressions and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi break his silence on the issue.

Earlier in the morning, the Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for about an hour as the Opposition members protested over various issues, including a demand to hold discussions on the border issue with China.

As soon as the House assembled again in the afternoon for Zero Hour, the Congress and the DMK members staged the walkout, followed by MPs from the Trinamul Congress and the JD(U).

Mr Chowdhury urged Speaker Om Birla to allow a discussion on the India-China issue, saying it is the Opposition's right. "We have been demanding a discussion on the China issue since morning. Discussion is happening on TV and everywhere outside (the Parliament). Give an opportunity to the Opposition to discuss it. It is our right," he said.

As the Lok Sabha Speaker did not allow the discussion on the India-China border issue, the Congress leaders staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha.

Law minister Kiren Rijiju cited past instances when the UPA government had denied deliberations in the House on such matters and said it is not good to rake up sensitive issues politically.

Responding to the media's questions on the issue in the Parliament complex, Mr Rijiju said that the border issue is sensitive and there is a convention in Parliament against discussing such matters in the House.

"You would recall that in 2005, when I was in the opposition, I had raised the issue of the China border. Late Pranab Mukherjee, who was the Leader of the House, and then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called me and said the China border issue is very sensitive; therefore, it should not be discussed in Parliament and should be dealt with internally. We did not press," he said.

When the Chinese President visited India in 2008, the BJP demanded a discussion and issued a notice in the Lok Sabha, he recalled. "Pranab Mukherjee once again said the issue should not be raised in Parliament and the government would internally look into the issues (relating to China) and the solutions would be conveyed personally and not through Parliament," the Lok Sabha member from Arunachal Pradesh said. 

Then the Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani had agreed not to press for a discussion as the matter was sensitive, he said.

"Today, the same Congress party is repeatedly demanding a discussion. One should think about what is important in the national interest. It is not good to rake up a sensitive issue politically and mislead (people)," the Union minister said.

In 2013, when A.K. Antony was the defence minister, he had told Parliament in detail that the policy of Congress was not to develop border areas, not to create infrastructure, he claimed.  "The policy was not correct due to which the movement of the forces is hindered and the people living there face difficulties. But today, the Congress has forgotten its history," he said.

The Opposition parties, including the Congress, have been demanding a debate in both Houses on the China border issue. The Winter Session of Parliament, which began on December 7, is likely to conclude on Friday.