CHANDIGARH: Emphasising the need to adopt a tough line with China, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to return funds received from Chinese companies towards the PM CARES Fund just ahead of conflict at Line of Actual Control.
Divulging the details during a media interaction here, the Chief Minister said that the PM Cares Fund, which has been setup with an aim to collect funds for fighting COVID-19 pandemic, got contributions to the tune of Rs. 7 crore from Huawei. Apart from this, another Chinese company Tik Tok gave Rs. 30 crore, Xiaomi Rs. 10 crore and Oppo Rs. one crore. He said that these contributions were pouring in since 2013 onwards.
The Chief Minister pointed out that the said contributions should be returned forthwith as India doesn’t need Chinese funds to combat COVID-19 and in a position to well manage the crisis on its own in these trying circumstances.
Expressing anguish over the Chinese incursions, Captain Amarinder Singh said it was distressing that on one hand Chinese were killing our soldiers and on the other contributing funds in PM CARES, which is unfair and hence these funds should be returned back.
Responding to a query regarding statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for a debate on Chinese aggression with Rahul Gandhi in Parliament, the Chief Minister said that Parliament was the right forum to deliberate on this issue right from Indo-China war in 1962 onwards. He said Rahul Gandhi was capable enough to put forth his party’s stand on this sensitive issue.
Referring to the genesis of the border tension, Captain Amarinder Singh pointed out that the Chinese had reached right half way through to the Siachen Glacier after Pakistan ceded the northern part of Shaksgam Valley in PoK in 1963. Beyond that there is an area that is any case belongs to China, he asserted, that there is a little gap between the Siachen glacier and the Aksai Chin area, which is the Daulat Beg gap, which China is trying to close to block the Indian access to the erstwhile Kashmir of 1947. He also underlined the need for both military and diplomatic solutions to bring an end to the escalating border tension.