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'Where is red eye, 56 inch?' Congress targets Modi on failure of Ladakh talks

Congress asked will China be pushed back from Depsang plain and Gogra Hot Springs

modi aligarh pti PM Narendra Modi | PTI

The Indian Army announced on Monday that the 13th round of talks between India and China to resolve the standoff in Ladakh had failed.

In a statement, the Indian Army said the Chinese side was 'not agreeable' and also could not provide any 'forward-looking' proposals.

With the standoff continuing for nearly 18 months now, critics of the Narendra Modi government's policy were quick to react to the news. The Congress uploaded a video of spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala posing questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Surjewala said, "The question is simple: Where is the red eye and the 56 inch [chest]? When will you speak to China eye to eye, Modiji? When will China be pushed back from Depsang plain and Gogra Hot Springs? Prime minister, do not hide, the nation demands an answer."

The reference to showing a red eye and 56 inch chest were a jibe on claims by Modi during campaigning for the 2014 parliamentary election that he would adopt a tough policy against China over border transgressions.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who has consistently criticised the Modi government for its handling of the standoff with China, appeared to blame the prime minister himself.

Swamy tweeted, "Whose fault is it? Those who grabbed our land, and we are asking them to return it or those who publicly declared that nobody came or went so there is nothing to negotiate?"

Retired Indian Army officer and strategic affairs expert Pravin Sawhney warned the failure of the talks was expected. Ever since the standoff started, Sawhney had been arguing India had misread China's intentions and its military capabilities.

He tweeted, "This was expected. China is in no hurry to disengage - and it cannot be forced. India is sitting on a time bomb. Thinking here is India has deterrence in place against PLA & Pak military. Good luck!"

On October 8, Sawhney warned China could take over both Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh simultaneously. He had tweeted, "If and when war happens, China will take Arunachal Pradesh & Ladakh simultaneously. If this sounds crazy - it should - since both sides will fight different wars. Indian Military will fight war of attrition. PLA will fight war of cognition!"

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