Centre’s PR will not save India from China: Rahul Gandhi

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday hit out at the Centre over the “renewed China threat in Doklam” report, claiming the Chinese authorities have set up a village inside Bhutanese territory.

In a tweet, Gandhi said: “China’s geopolitical strategy cannot be countered by a PR (Public Relations) driven media strategy. This simple fact seems to elude the minds of those running GOI (Government of India). “Wayanad MP’s response comes days after Bhutan rejected the report claiming the setting up of a Chinese village inside Bhutan. “There is no Chinese village inside Bhutan,” Major General Vetsop Namgyel, Bhutanese Ambassador to India, had told.

Earlier, Shen Shiwei, CGTN News producer, had tweeted, “Now, we have permanent residents living in the newly established Pangda village. It’s along the valley where 35 km south to Yadong county.” Later the tweet was removed. The Pangda village lies 2 kilometres within Bhutanese territory. In 2017, India and China were engaged in a 73-day standoff in Doklam after Chinese troops were building a road from their territory to the Jhamphiri ridgeline. Currently, the Chinese and Indian troops are engaged in a stand-off since early May along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.