Congress leaders should recall Antony’s statement on border issue during UPA rule: Kiren Rijiju

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday hit out at Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying before making any statement on the China border issue, Congress leaders should listen to what the then defence minister A K Antony had said on the subject during UPA rule. Responding to a tweet by Gandhi in which he took a swipe at the prime minister asking why he does not show red eyes to China, Rijiju said before uttering anything on China border issue, please listen to the defence minister of Congress government.

“‘Mr 56 inch’, why don’t you show red eyes,” Rahul had asked in a tweet in Hindi, tagging a news report that China was not ready to step back at the borders after the 13th round of commander-level talks.

Rijiju too took to Twitter and responded in Hindi. “Think, understand and be extremely careful on sensitive national security issues,” he said sharing a short video clip of Antony’s purported remarks made inside Parliament.

In the September 6, 2013 clip, Antony told the House that independent India had a policy for many years that best defence is not to develop the border.

Undeveloped border is safer than developed border, the then defence minister said adding that China on the other had improved it’s infrastructure on the border.