Uddhav Thackeray's Saamana questions SC's 'true Indian' observation on Rahul Gandhi

Mumbai, Aug 6 Shiv Sena(UBT) on Wednesday came out in support of Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and raised questions about the Supreme Court's observations, terming them “wrong in every manner".

"What has the Supreme Court achieved by making its observation that a 'true Indian' would not make a remark like China had occupied 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory and Chinese troops were thrashing Indian soldiers in Aunachal Pradesh," the Uddhav Thackeray camp said in it’s mouthpiece 'Saamana' editorial on Wednesday. It claimed that after 2014, "the days of liars have come in the country and those who speak the truth and question the government are being considered 'anti-India'."

In a scathing editorial, the Shiv Sena(UBT) said the definition of patriots has changed since the BJP came to power in 2014, adding that those who heap praise over the government are treated as patriots, but anyone who questions the government is stamped as anti-national. Based on this criterion, the ruling government at the Centre started issuing certificates of patriotism and labelling them as anti-nationals. The ruling party's sweeping definition that citizens of India cannot question the government should be rejected by the country's constitutional institutions. But unfortunately, that does not seem to be happening, it added.

The Thackeray camp referred to the questions posed by a division bench, comprising Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice A.G. Masih, about statements made by Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra while hearing a petition against the Leader of Opposition.

“How did you know that China swallowed 2,000 square kilometres of India? Were you present there?' Justice Dutta asked. What evidence do you have of the intrusion? And why don't you speak in Parliament about whatever you want to say about this? Justice Dutta also admonished Rahul Gandhi that 'No true Indian would say such things, and if you are a true Indian, do not make such statements.' Whether Rahul Gandhi is a true Indian or not was not the issue before the court. Therefore, what did the court achieve by unnecessarily expressing its opinion on how 'true Indian' Rahul Gandhi is or not?" asked the editorial.

Defending Rahul Gandhi, the Thackeray camp argued that as the LoP, he, as the representative of the people, is entitled to ask questions to the government on issues of public and national interest related to national security. “If Rahul Gandhi did so, what was wrong with that?” Commenting on the Supreme Court’s statement asking Rahul Gandhi to speak on the issue (Chinese infiltration) in the Parliament and not on social media, the Thackeray camp said he is not allowed to speak in Parliament, and it has been his main complaint about the government.

“After 2020, the opposition parties have tried to raise the issue of Chinese intrusion in Parliament many times. But what happened? Was a discussion allowed? The issue of intrusion was always covered up by putting forward the shield of 'national security issue'. Is Rahul Gandhi the only one who speaks about intrusion in the country again? Not so. Even the senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Dr Subramanian Swamy, has always criticised his own government in venomous language on Chinese intrusion,” said the editorial.

Further, the editorial mentioned that Dr Swamy has often accused China of grabbing 4,067 square kilometres of Indian land in Ladakh. In this case, he used the Right to Information to ask the government for information, but the government refused to provide that information. Dr Swamy also approached the court to get this information. “But when Dr Swamy criticises, he does not hurt the feelings of the petitioner in this case. When Dr Swamy alleges that China has swallowed up more than 4,000 square kilometres of land, no one is defamed. But when Rahul Gandhi alleges that China has occupied 2,000 square kilometres of Indian land, he hurts feelings and gets defamed,” said the editorial, asking why such kind of duplicity.

The Uddhav Thackeray camp said BJP's Arunachal Pradesh MP Tapir Gao had also questioned his government in Parliament in 2019 about Chinese infiltration, saying that the latter has encroached on a large area of our land by infiltrating 50 to 60 kilometres in Arunachal Pradesh. “But if Rahul Gandhi raises the same issue, it is being treated as a shocking comment. Rahul Gandhi went to Ladakh on a bike, met the people there. The people of Ladakh also expressed their concerns to Rahul Gandhi about Chinese infiltration, and the court, however, asks Rahul Gandhi for evidence,” it added.

If the Supreme Court has questioned Rahul Gandhi’s statement about China, saying a “true Indian” cannot make such remarks, then it is a serious one, taunted the Thackeray camp. “Therefore, the Supreme Court should now decide 'who is a true Indian?' For this, will the Supreme Court constitute a fact-finding committee on Chinese infiltration?" asked the editorial.

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