Congress questions centre’s silence over reported PLA face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh

The Congress on October 23 criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over reported face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh, alleging that the Centre had remained silent on the developments.

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh referred to a media report quoting Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapur as saying that face-offs had occurred at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh in recent days and that the situation was continuing.

In a post on X, Ramesh accused the prime minister and his administration of maintaining a “deafening silence” over the reported incidents. He also alleged that India had made concessions to China and raised concerns over border patrolling, Chinese renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh and the construction of a major dam by China.

Ramesh claimed that corps commander-level talks were held at Wacha and Damai in Arunachal Pradesh last month following a face-off at Taksing. He said local residents had reported the loss of patrolling points, drawing a comparison with developments in Ladakh.

The Congress leader also cited India’s reported trade deficit with China, which he said had reached a record USD 112 billion in 2025–26, compared with USD 99 billion in the previous financial year. He argued that the widening deficit posed a threat to India’s economic security and affected micro, small and medium enterprises.

Ramesh further criticised Modi over his remarks on the India-China border situation in June 2020 and referred to statements by former Army Chief General M. M. Naravane regarding the instructions he received during the Ladakh crisis.

He also recalled remarks made by Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Rahul Singh about China’s role during Pakistan’s military campaign in Operation Sindoor. Ramesh alleged that retired Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan later contradicted those remarks.

There was no immediate response from the government or the BJP to the Congress’s latest allegations. The government has previously rejected opposition claims regarding Chinese incursions, while the BJP has accused the Congress of demoralising the armed forces.

The reported face-offs and the claims raised by the Congress could not be independently verified from the information available in the report.