China’s approach to India is like Russian approach to Ukraine, says Rahul Gandhi

China is following the same principle with India as Russia has done with Ukraine, Congress leader and Lok Sabha member from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi, said in a one-on-one conversation with actor-politician Kamal Haasan, who had participated in the Delhi leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

In the conversation, shared by Mr. Gandhi in his YouTube channel on Monday, the Congress leader claimed that the China-India border face-off can be linked to “a weak economy, a confused nation without any vision”.

The Congress leader, however, asserted that only India, and not the West, can take on China in terms of economy and production.

Mr. Gandhi said, “Essentially, what the Russians have done in Ukraine is that they have said we do not want Ukraine to have a strong relationship with the west and they have basically told the Ukrainians that if you will have a strong relationship with the west, we will alter your geography. That is the exact same principle that can be applied to India”.

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“What the Chinese are saying to us is that be careful with what you are doing, because we will alter your geography. We will enter Ladakh, we will enter Arunachal [Pradesh], and what I can see is them building a platform for that type of an approach,” he added.

The Congress leader asserted that the definition of conflict has changed now as one didn’t fight just on the border but everywhere. “I think our government has completely miscalculated it,” he said adding that security in the 21^st century needs a holistic and global approach.

“When Indians fight Indians, when the economy does not work, when there is joblessness, our external opponent can take advantage of this situation,” the Congress leader noted. He said that the most important thing for the country is internal cohesion and harmony and people should not be fighting with each other.

“The point is not going to war, the point is going to a position where you cannot be attacked. And there is a link between a weak economy, a confused nation without vision, hatred and anger and the Chinese sitting in our territory. Because they know we are dealing with internal matters, internal confusion and internal lack of harmony and so they can go in and do whatever they want. This is one end of the problem,” said the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad.