Congress leader Sam Pitroda on Monday said that the threat from China is often exaggerated. India, he said, should recognise and respect China instead of assuming it as an enemy.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Pitroda was categorical in his take on India-China relations saying that there is a need to change India's mindset and stop assuming that China is the enemy.
He said that India's approach has been confrontational from the beginning. "Our attitude is that of confrontation from day one, and that attitude creates enemies, and that creates certain support in the country. I think we need to change that pattern to assume that China is the enemy from day one. It is not just to China, but to everyone..."
"I don't know what is the threat from China. I think this issue is often blown out of proportion because the US has the habit of defining an enemy," he said.
The Congress leader said the time has come for all nations to come together. "I think the time has come for all of us to learn, increase communication, collaborate, operate and co-create and not have this command and control mindset. China is around... China is growing .. you know you got to recognise that and respect that ... Every other country is going to grow, some will grow faster, some will grow slower. Those who are very poor have to grow faster, those who are well-accomplished and developed will have slower growth. Those who are developed will also have an ageing population, while those who are developing will have a young population. We will have to look at all these things together," he said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attacked the Congress for Pitroda's remarks saying "no wonder Rahul Gandhi is in awe of China", referring to his recent speech in Lok Sabha wherein he spoke of China's tech and other advancements.
"Those who ceded away 40000 square km of our land to China, still see no threat from the Dragon...no wonder Rahul Gandhi is in awe of China and was rooting for BRI one day before the IMEEC was announced ... the crux of Cong party’s obsessive fascination for China, lies hidden in the mysterious 2008 Cong-CCP MOU," BJP spokesperson Tuhin Sinha said, according to Times Now.
Times Now quoted Congress leader Raasid Alvi as saying that the party, and MP Rahul Gandhi have always made accusations on China and the party has been aggressive against India. "China was, and still is, an enemy. If any Congress leader says otherwise, they must be aware that our leader, Rahul Gandhi, consistently states that China has occupied our land and intruded into our territory," he added while clarifying Pitroda's statement.
Meanwhile, Congress distanced itself from Pitroda's remarks on China, saying that they don't reflect the party's views.
"The views reportedly expressed by Sam Pitroda on China are most definitely not the views of the Indian National Congress," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X.
