Rajya Sabha member and senior counsel Mahesh Jethmalani has voiced concerns about Rahul Gandhi’s impending “Bharat Nyaya Yatra,” notably its absence of Arunachal Pradesh, in a series of probing questions addressed at senior Congress politician Jairam Ramesh.
Jethmalani voiced objections and requested answers from Ramesh on a variety of subjects, including Congress’ choice in 2008 to engage into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chinese Communist Party.
“Over the years Jairam Ramesh’s views on Arunachal Pradesh make for ominous reading,” Jethamalani said in a social media post, alleging that as an environment minister in the UPA government, the Congress leader wanted a review of all existing hydel projects in the state and halt any new ones.
“He then asserted that India would not be able to construct dams on its own and should enlist Chinese expertise in its hydel projects in the state,” the lawmaker wrote.
Jethmalani then referred to Rahul Gandhi’s planned East-West ‘Bharat Nyay Yatra,’ wondering why Arunachal Pradesh was not included in the outreach program.
Ramesh stated in February, following Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, that the party was contemplating a similar march from Pasighat in Aruchanal Pradesh to Porbandar in Gujarat.
“The nation had been very recently informed by Jairam that Rahul will now embark upon a “Bharat Nyaya Yatra” but its route will be from Manipur to Mumbai. The Yatra will not traverse Arunachal Pradesh,” the Rajya Sabha member said, posing 10 questions to fellow lawmaker and the Congress general secretary in charge of communications.
Here are the 10 questions Jethmalani posed to Jairam Ramesh:
Route change rationale: Why did you change the original route of the Yatra announced by you?
Arunachal Pradesh exclusion: Did you wilfully exclude Arunachal Pradesh from the Yatra’s route in view of China’s renaming of 11 places in the state as a mark of its claim to the state?
Solidarity with Arunachal Pradesh: Since you were so agitated by China’s nominal aggression, wasn’t it all the more incumbent on the INC to commence the Yatra in – or at least include AP – on the Yatra route as a sign of solidarity with the people of that state?
China’s Role in insurgency: Do you agree that China fuels insurgency in the North East and funds/arms insurgency in Manipur?
Chinese involvement in Manipur violence: Has it struck you – at least as a possibility – that the Manipur violence earlier this year could have a Chinese hand in it?
Role in 2008 MOU: Did you personally have any role in the decision of the INC to enter into an MOU with the CCCP in 2008?
Awareness of MOU contents: Are you in any event aware of its contents?
Recognition of Chinese sovereignty: Does the MOU contain a clause that the INC recognize Chinese sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh?
Legality of 2008 MOU: Do you believe that it was legal for an Indian political party that was in power at the Centre in 2008 to enter into an MOU with the CCCP which is synonymous with the Chinese State that illegally occupies since 1962 a huge swathe of Indian territory?
Call for transparency: In any event should this MOU not be made public on the principle of transparency which you and your party wax eloquent about?
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