Rajnath to make statement on China in RS, Opposition divided on LAC debate

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will make a statement on the China issue in the Rajya Sabha today as he had done in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. As per the law of the proceedings of the upper house, the Opposition has a right to seek clarification after the minister’s statement after clearance from the chair. The Daily Guardian has learnt that since the situation at the LAC is very fluid, there can be a modification in Singh’s statement in the Rajya Sabha.

To gauge the mood of the Opposition about a discussion on the situation at the LAC after the Defence Minister’s statement, an allparty meeting was called by the government, inviting all the floor leaders of the Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha. The meeting was attended by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Piyush Goyal, Opposition leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma, Derek O’Brien, Manoj Jha, Ram Gopal Yadav, K. Keshav Rao and T. Siva. When the meeting ended, it was clear that the majority of the Opposition parties were not too keen on seeking clarification on the LAC issue.

One of the senior Opposition leaders who attended the meeting told The Daily Guardian that he is not in favour of national security issues being discussed on the floor of the house as it can have larger ramifications. He gave an example from the past when Mulayam Singh Yadav was the Defence Minister. The senior leader referred to when Yadav had been asked a question in the house but had been supported by L.K. Advani for not answering it as it dealt with national security. The TMC has also made a clear stand and stated that border issues should not be debated. Even the RJD’s Manoj Jha who attended the meeting didn’t raise the LAC issue in the meeting.

The Congress has been making demands from time to time for a debate on the floor of the house regarding the China issue but their demand had been denied after the Defence Minister’s statement in the Lok Sabha. The Congress had even protested by staging a walkout. However, the party has the liberty to ask for clarification after Rajnath Singh’s statement in the upper house.