"What have they done about China?," asks Congress' Shashi Tharoor as BJP claims "taking back PoK"

Questioning the Centre's position on China, Congress candidate Shashi Tharoor on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party's position on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is only an "election tactics" adding that it must also focus on what is happening on the Chinese borders.

Questioning the Centre's position on China, Congress candidate Shashi Tharoor on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party's position on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is only an "election tactics" adding that it must also focus on what is happening on the Chinese borders. Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently made a statement that PoK is a part of India and it will be taken back once BJP retains power.

Reacting to this, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, "These are all election tactics. Those who talk about PoK, don't think about what impact it will have internationally. What they have done about China? On 65 patrolling points, the agreement was going well in the last 45 years. But, now at 26 points, the Chinese military is there and our Jawans can't go, when they tried, 20 of our Jawans were killed. The government is in no position to talk about this and they are talking about the PoK. It's nonsensical to talk such things." On Amit Shah claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has crossed 310 marks in the five phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Tharoor said, "Whatever Amit Shah says about the number of seats, we should discount it by 30-40 per cent, then we will see the reality. I think it's (NDA to cross 400) not going to happen, BJP is in a bad state and the time has come for a change in the government".

Regarding the potential Prime Ministerial candidate for the INDIA alliance, if it comes to power, Tharoor remarked that the decision would involve consultation among the 26 parties. "Twenty-six parties collectively ponder over this matter. With so many leaders among them, there shouldn't be much concern. After all, it's not a Presidential system. Prime Minister Modi seems to be operating the parliamentary system as if it were a Presidential one. In a Presidential system, everyone casts their vote for a single individual.In a parliamentary system, we consider the party, various candidates, and then select a leader. In the 2004 elections, who could have predicted that Manmohan Singh would emerge as the leader?" Tharoor said. (ANI)

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