Chidambaram says India boycotting Chinese goods will not hurt China's economy

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark on the Galwan valley conflict with China has left practically everyone baffled and bewildered.

PM Modi had, after an all-party meeting about the LAC row, said that neither has anyone intruded into the Indian territory nor has anyone captured any military posts.

"At the end of the meeting, the Prime Minister made his concluding remarks. These remarks have left practically everyone baffled and bewildered. The PM said no outsider was inside Indian territory in Ladakh," Chidambaram said in a press conference here.

He said that Modi's announcement repudiated the previous articulations made by the Chief of Army Staff, the Defense Minister, and the Foreign Minister. 

"On the off chance that the Prime Minister's announcement mirrors the right position, we might want to ask the administration a couple of inquiries. On the off chance that no Chinese soldiers had crossed the LAC and are in An indian area, what was the go head to head on May 5-6," Chidambaram inquired. 

"We might likewise want to inquire as to whether no Chinese soldiers were inside An indian area, where did the conflicts occur on June 15-16? Where were 20 Indian troopers slaughtered and 85 harmed?" he included. 

This comes as pressure at the LAC with China are high after 20 Indian Army work



force were murdered in a fierce go head to head with the Chinese soldiers in the Galwan valley in the midst of de-heightening talks. 

Chidambaram said that once the Indian Prime Minister offers the expression that there are no Chinese on Indian domain, he needs to characterize what Indian region is.

"The Chinese claim has been consistent with what they have been claiming for the last few weeks, it is the Indian position as articulated by the Prime Minister that has come as a total shock. That is why we have asked pointed questions, now that China is claiming the entire Galwan valley, do you reject this claim or not," the former union minister asked urging the Central government to reject the Chinese claim today itself.

He said if the Government of India does not reject the claim of the Chinese today, it can have "terrible consequences".

Speaking about the call to boycott Chinese products, Chidambaram said that simply boycotting their products will not hurt the economy of the neighbouring country as Chinese trade with India is only a fraction of its world trade.

"We must become self-reliant as much as possible but we can't decouple with the rest of the world. India must continue to be part of the global supply chain and not boycott Chinese goods. What part of Chinese trade with India is China's world trade? It's a fraction," he said.