Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s comment using the word “alleged” for the 1962 Chinese invasion has sparked a political debate, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) branding it a “brazen attempt at revisionism.”
“In October 1962, the Chinese allegedly invaded India,” Aiyar was heard narrating an anecdote in a purported video of an event at the Foreign Correspondents Club on Tuesday evening.
Aiyar later apologized for using the word “alleged” in a brief statement. “I unreservedly apologize for having mistakenly used the word ‘alleged’ before ‘Chinese invasion’ at the Foreign Correspondents Club this evening.”
BJP leader Amit Malviya slammed the Congress over Aiyar’s remarks on the Chinese invasion. In a post on the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter), Malviya wrote, “Mani Shankar Aiyar, speaking at the FCC during the launch of a book called Nehru’s First Recruits, refers to the Chinese invasion in 1962 as ‘alleged’. This is a brazen attempt at revisionism.”
“Nehru gave up India’s claim on a permanent seat at the UNSC in favor of the Chinese, signed a secret MoU, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation accepted funds from the Chinese Embassy and published reports recommending market access for Chinese companies…,” he said.
“…based on them, Sonia Gandhi’s UPA opened up the Indian market for Chinese goods, hurting MSMEs and now Congress leader Aiyar wants to whitewash the Chinese invasion, after which the Chinese have been in illegal occupation of 38,000 sq km of Indian territory. What explains “Congress’s love for the Chinese?,” the BJP leader alleged.
Responding to the BJP’s criticism, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh pointed out that Aiyar had subsequently apologized “unreservedly” for using the term “alleged invasion” “mistakenly.” He accused the Prime Minister of giving the Chinese a “clean chit” for their incursions in May 2020.
“Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar has subsequently apologized unreservedly for using the term “alleged invasion” mistakenly. Allowances must be made for his age. The INC distances itself from his original phraseology,” he wrote on the microblogging site.
“The war of India that began on October 20, 1962, was for REAL. So too were the Chinese incursions in Ladakh in early May 2020, in which 20 of our soldiers were martyred and the status quo disturbed,” he said.
“The outgoing PM, however, gave a clean chit publicly to the Chinese on June 19th, 2020, seriously weakening our negotiating position. 2000 sq km of territory, including Depsang and Demchok, remain out of bounds for Indian troops,” Ramesh added.
