New Delhi: Accusing the Narendra Modi government of not being serious about Chinese intrusions, Congress on Wednesday demanded that the Prime Minister appoint a Special Representative to carry forward the talks on border issues as "diplomacy is not event management".
"I would like to advice Prime Minister that diplomacy is not event management, state craft is very complex. He should show seriousness by appointing the Special Representative so that he can engage with Representative of Chinese government and Chinese President to discuss this border issue," Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said.
He said that the repeated intrusions were a matter of grave national concern and the party hopes that the government through its diplomacy and state craft will succeed in diffusing tensions on the border in the spirit of agreement on guiding principles signed in 2005.
"That agreement also envisages the Special Representatives mechanism to take forward the negotiations for the settlement of the border between China and India," he said.
Briefing reporters at AICC, the former Union Minister said that the Prime Minister and his government knew for long that Chinese President Xi Jinping was visiting in September. "The government and the Prime Minister was busy in managing in a grand manner the event, as it should be because it is an important visit, but they forgot that he as a Prime Minister has not appointed or nominated a Special Representative," he said.
Sharma said that when a Congress delation led by Sonia Gandhi met Xi, the party had very clearly said that peace on the border and the solution of the border issues through talks is necessary for the partnership in economy and development to grow.
Asked about Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju's alleged comments that the border issue dates back to UPA, Sharma said the minister was young. "He is a young minsiter....He is not giving any new knowledge but it will be good if he gains knowledge for himself because this is an old and complex issue.
"I sympathise with Rijiju that Modi did not invite a Minister of State for Home to his banquet or that of President's because he is from a state which the Gujarat government has shown as diputed in its map," he said. Rubbing it in, he said Rijiju should lodge his protest with Modi and the Prime Minister should apologise to him.
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