Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju has accused the Congress of deliberately avoiding the construction of roads near India’s border regions, citing fears of potential encroachment by neighbouring countries.
Rijiju made the remarks during a Lok Sabha debate marking 75 years of the adoption of the Constitution.
Quoting former Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Rijiju said, “The former Defence Minister said in the Rajya Sabha that I am the Defence Minister of the country and I have no hesitation in saying that our Congress government had set a policy that roads should not be built in border areas. If roads are built, China will come through the same route and occupy our land.”
Rijiju shared his remarks while recalling a policy he alleged was followed by the Congress-led governments. He used the instance to highlight his broader criticism of the opposition’s approach to national security and infrastructure development in sensitive areas.
Defence and border infrastructure
The minister referred to remarks attributed to Rahul Gandhi on border issues with China, questioning Congress's commitment to bolstering border infrastructure.
“How China has gone ahead of India in border infrastructure? Shri Rahul Gandhi, who keeps shouting about border issues with China, may listen to the honest Defence Minister during Congress's regime,” Rijiju said in a tweet earlier this year.
Asserting the difference under the current regime, Rijiju said, “Now, PM is Narendra Modi Ji, and the border people will never forgive the Congress Party.”
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister also took an indirect swipe at the opposition on the matter of minority rights, asserting that India offers equal voting rights to all and affirmative action to safeguard the interests of minority groups.
He remarked, “India not only provides legal protection to minorities, but it also has a provision for affirmative action to protect their interests. Successive governments have worked for the welfare of minorities. The Congress has also done that, I am not undermining its role.”
Rijiju added a word of caution to his address, warning that words and actions within Parliament should not harm India’s standing in international forums.
“Our words and actions should not diminish the image of the country in the world fora,” he said.
Rijiju’s comments come amidst a heated Winter Session of Parliament, where debates on topics ranging from national security to constitutional progress have sparked sharp exchanges between the treasury benches and the opposition.
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