New Delhi: Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on China in an interview with American magazine Newsweek, Congress veteran Jairam Ramesh on Thursday demanded an apology for the former’s 2020 statement that no one had entered India nor had occupied any post. In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh said the Prime Minister crossed “all limits of cowardice”.

“In his interview to the American magazine Newsweek, the Prime Minister crossed all limits of cowardice. China is repeatedly violating India’s sovereignty but the Prime Minister’s only comment on this was that the long-standing situation on our border needs to be resolved immediately so that the “aberration” in bilateral talks can be left behind,” he wrote on X.

Jairam Ramesh said PM Modi had the opportunity to send a strong message to China.

“But his ineffective and weak response is likely to encourage China further to stake its claim on Indian land,” he said.

Referring to the death of 20 Indian soldiers in a skirmish with China near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2020, he said PM Modi’s reaction to the China issue is an insult to martyrs.

“The Prime Minister’s reaction on the China issue is not only shameful but also an insult to our martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice while protecting our borders,” he wrote.

He also demanded an apology from PM Modi.

“The Prime Minister should apologize to 140 crore Indians for his statement on national television on June 19, 2020, ‘Neither anyone has entered nor anyone has entered’ and for deceiving the country by hiding his failures in protecting the border with China,” he added.

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What PM Narendra Modi said in Newsweek interview

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described India’s rise as “unstoppable”. Asked about India’s border tensions with China, he said peaceful relations between the two countries are important for the entire world.

“It is my belief that we need to urgently address the prolonged situation on our borders so that the abnormality in our bilateral interactions can be put behind us. Stable and peaceful relations between India and China are important for not just our two countries but the entire region and world,” he said.

“I hope and believe that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, we will be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquility in our borders,” Modi added.