Centre's directionless policies compromising national security: Congress

Pointing to Chinese transgressions in Arunachal Pradesh, the Congress on Thursday slammed the Narendra Modi government and said "its directionless policies are harming Indias strategic interests and compromising national security".

It said the National Democratic Alliance government had displayed a "heedless, incautious and shortsighted attitude" when it comes to national security.

"The recent attempt by China to foster a Doklam 2.0, this time in Arunachal Pradesh, has raised serious concerns," Congress Spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said.

"Even though we commend our security forces which timely prevented further road construction in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh last month, we want to caution the government so that it remains more proactive to such transgressions," he added.

The opposition party also said that bravado, chest-thumping and TV studio warfare are the tools employed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government to manage media headlines when it comes to critical issues of national security.

"The reality and actuality of their tall claims are getting unravelled day by day," he added.

Vadakkan said: "As the Modi government completes 43 months in office, it has become increasingly evident that its directionless policies are harming India's strategic interests and compromising national security."

"Media reports say that the Chinese made 1.3-km road inside Arunachal Pradesh, before they were stopped and their equipment seized. This is a cause of serious concern," he added.

The Congress leader pointed out that the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) criteria talks of a population of at least 100 for a village to have a government-built road.

Bishing, the village where the road was build, has 16 households, with a total population of 54. That was the reason for the absence of road there.

"The Congress wants to give a positive suggestion to the government to avoid such instances that PMGSY norms in case of remote areas and national security be relaxed and roads constructed so that these instances don't occur in future," said Vadakkan.

--IANS

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