Cong accuses Modi govt of compromising security and strategic

The Congress today alleged that India's national security and strategic interests had been compromised in Doklam with the Narendra Modi government maintaining a "conspiratorial silence" on it during the China visit.

"Both Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had completely omitted confronting China on creation of full-fledged Chinese military complex in Doklam right upto 10 metres from Indian army post," Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters here.

He alleged that both omitted confrontation with China over the building of a new road south of Doklam platform to provide easy access to China to Jhamperi Ridge overlooking the Siliguri Corridor, a gateway to North-Eastern states.

Surjewala also asked whether Modi would take up the issue in the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 27-28.

Sitharaman and Swaraj had attended the meetings of the defence and foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) which began at Beijing yesterday.

The congress leader said he wondered how the Modi government would settle the issue of tri-junction at Doklam in this scenario as it is an all-important issue for Bhutan and India's strategic interests viz-a-viz the "chicken neck."