IndiaPosted at: Oct 23 2026 4:44PM


Congress demands answers from Modi on China, cites Arunachal face-offs and record trade deficit

New Delhi, Oct 23 (UNI) Congress chairman of media and publicity Pawan Khera on Friday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the government’s China policy, citing continuing military face-offs along the Arunachal Pradesh frontier, concerns over patrolling access in sensitive border areas and a record trade deficit with Beijing.
Demanding greater transparency on national security, Khera sought a comprehensive account of the ground situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the outcomes of repeated diplomatic engagements with China and the government’s decision to ease specified restrictions on Chinese investments.
Addressing a press conference, Khera referred to remarks attributed to Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapur confirming continuing face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops at several locations along the Arunachal Pradesh border. “In the past few days, a situation arose where face-off happened at several locations in Arunachal, and it still continues,” Kapur was quoted as saying. He reportedly stressed the need to strengthen India’s drone, counter-drone and high-altitude warfare capabilities in view of China’s military modernisation.
Khera said the reported confrontations raised serious questions about the government’s assessment of the security situation and the preparedness of India’s frontline forces. He cited reports attributing to government sources the presence of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) tents near Asaphila and Maja in the Taksing sector of Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district, allegedly six to seven kilometres inside India’s perception of the LAC. He questioned how such reports could emerge despite Corps Commander-level talks held at Wacha and Damai in Arunachal Pradesh on September 6.
The Congress leader also referred to concerns raised by local residents and a fact-finding committee of the People’s Party of Arunachal over restricted access to Indian patrolling areas and traditional grazing and hunting grounds. He said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had raised related questions in August but alleged that the government had failed to provide satisfactory answers.
Khera placed the controversy in the context of the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed. Four days after the confrontation, Modi had said that neither had anyone entered Indian territory nor was anyone inside it, a statement the Congress has repeatedly criticised as giving China a “clean chit”.
“India’s national security is paying a price for PM Modi’s obsession with China,” Khera alleged, questioning whether diplomatic engagement with Chinese President Xi Jinping had delivered concrete guarantees for India’s territorial integrity. He demanded clarity on the government’s strategy for dealing with Beijing while military tensions and economic dependence continued.
The Congress set out six broad areas of concern, covering the situation in Arunachal Pradesh, the restoration of patrolling rights in eastern Ladakh, the outcomes of diplomatic negotiations, China’s territorial claims and treatment of Indian citizens, the widening trade imbalance and the government’s approach to Chinese investments.
On Arunachal Pradesh, Khera asked whether Indian troops could access all designated patrolling points, including Shera-5, where local accounts allegedly indicated that access had been restricted following a confrontation in 2023. He also sought clarification on whether restrictions affecting traditional grazing and hunting grounds, including Nanga Pahar, had been removed.
Demanding an account from the Defence Minister, Khera asked whether the reported encounters were isolated patrol confrontations or indicated attempts to alter the status quo through temporary camps and sustained deployments. He said the government should provide a clear picture of the situation without disclosing operationally sensitive information.
On eastern Ladakh, the Congress questioned whether the pre-May 2020 status quo had been fully restored following disengagement arrangements at Depsang, Demchok, Gogra and Hot Springs. Khera cited concerns raised at the 2023 conference of Directors General of Police and Inspectors General of Police about restricted Indian presence at 26 of 65 patrolling points.
He asked whether Indian troops had regained access to all areas they patrolled before May 2020 and whether buffer arrangements had affected the customary grazing rights of local shepherds. The Congress maintained that disengagement from immediate confrontation could not, by itself, establish that the earlier situation had been restored.
Khera also questioned the results of sustained diplomatic and military negotiations between New Delhi and Beijing. He cited at least 23 meetings or interactions between Modi and Xi since 2014, 36 meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs and 25 rounds of talks between the two countries’ Special Representatives.
Referring to Modi’s interactions with Xi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin in August 2025 and the BRICS summit in New Delhi in September 2026, Khera asked what verifiable commitments had been secured to prevent further confrontations and restore patrolling access.
He further sought clarification on whether Modi had raised China’s reported operational assistance to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, an issue publicly flagged by Deputy Army Chief Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh. The Congress questioned whether the repeated diplomatic engagements had produced concrete assurances or remained limited to general statements supporting peace and stability.
The party also criticised Beijing’s practice of assigning Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh and referring to the state as “South Tibet”. Khera raised concerns over the use of stapled visas for Indian citizens from Arunachal Pradesh, citing the cases of three wushu athletes who missed the 2023 Asian Games and weightlifter Charu Pesi, who was withdrawn from the World Championships in October 2026 following another visa dispute.
He questioned why warnings about alleged Chinese encroachments raised by BJP MP Tapir Gao and concerns about restricted patrolling access voiced by former union minister R K Singh had not received adequate attention. Khera also demanded safeguards against the proposed 60,000-megawatt Medog dam upstream of the Brahmaputra, citing potential implications for India’s water security, flood warnings, the environment and downstream communities.
Turning to trade, Khera argued that India’s economic relationship with China had become increasingly imbalanced despite continuing border tensions. Citing figures presented by the Congress, he said India’s imports from China had risen from USD 65.21 billion in 2020-21 to USD 131.63 billion in 2025-26, while the trade deficit had reached a record USD 112.16 billion in the latest financial year. India’s goods exports to China stood at approximately USD 19.5 billion in 2025-26, he said.
The widening gap, Khera argued, exposed Indian manufacturers, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises, to supply-chain vulnerabilities and deepened the country’s dependence on Chinese goods and industrial inputs.
He referred to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s October 16 remarks that China used non-tariff barriers to restrict market access for Indian products despite years of representations by New Delhi. Khera asked how the government intended to address the imbalance when Indian exporters faced barriers in China while Chinese goods continued to enter the Indian market in large volumes.
“Has ‘Make in India’ become ‘Import from China’?” he asked, accusing the government of failing to reconcile its manufacturing ambitions with growing dependence on Chinese components and industrial inputs.
The Congress also questioned the government’s decision to ease specified restrictions on Chinese investment. Khera referred to changes approved by the union Cabinet in March 2026 affecting certain foreign direct investment rules relevant to sectors including electronics, capital goods and solar manufacturing. He also cited reports that eligible production-linked incentive applications involving approved Chinese investments were under consideration.
Demanding details of the national-security screening and technology safeguards accompanying these decisions, Khera questioned whether Chinese-linked ventures would receive taxpayer-funded incentives while Indian manufacturers remained dependent on Chinese semiconductors, electronic components, solar cells, batteries, critical minerals and pharmaceutical inputs.
The party argued that investment decisions must take account of the risks of supply-chain coercion, Chinese industrial overcapacity and potential damage to Indian employment, particularly while the border dispute remained unresolved.
Calling for greater parliamentary accountability, Khera demanded a comprehensive statement from the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and Home Minister, along with a confidential briefing for all political parties. He also sought a credible account of restored patrolling access, protection of the traditional rights of frontier communities and a time-bound programme to modernise ITBP capabilities, improve forward infrastructure and reduce strategic dependence on China.
“Our Armed Forces do not lack courage; they need political clarity, equipment and unwavering support,” he said.
Reiterating that Arunachal Pradesh was an integral part of India, the Congress maintained that there could be no compromise on the country’s sovereignty or territorial integrity. Khera said the government owed the public a clear explanation of developments along the frontier and the results of its diplomatic engagements with Beijing.
“Enough of clean chits to China—it is time for the Modi government to come clean before India,” he said.
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