Gaurav Gogoi writes to LS Speaker, seeks discussion on India-China relations in second half of budget session

New Delhi [India]: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urging him to allow discussion on India-China relations during the second half of the budget session beginning March 14.

The Congress MP, who wrote the letter on February 23, said in a tweet on Friday that he had requested for discussion on the issue earlier also during the budget session.

"The BJP leadership should understand the importance of this debate to the people of India," he said.

In his letter, Gogoi said detailed deliberations in the House will not only help inform the Parliamentarians and thereby the citizens "about the gravity of the issue but also give the Government valuable inputs on how to navigate the situation."

The Congress MP, who represents Kaliabor in Assam, noted that India's relations with China have gone through several rough patches over the course of the last few years.

He referred to the Chinese actions on the western side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and said the Corps Commander-level talks initiated to resolve the issue are yet to arrive at an amicable solution.

"On the eastern side, construction of Chinese settlements and multiple instances of abducting Arunachali youth by the Chinese PLA pose serious threats to the life and property of Indians. India's decision to reduce its trade reliance on China bore no fruit either. Instead, the trade deficit rose to $69.4 billion in 2021," he said.

Gogoi said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has admitted in various international fora that India-China relations are "currently in a difficult phase."

His remarks, the Congress leader said, "point to the severity of the situation."

"It also gives rise to grave security concerns along the entire stretch of the LAC Such an issue of national importance should be put to discussion and carefully analyzed in the Parliament," he added.

The second part of the budget session will conclude on April 8. The first half of the budget session was held from January 31 to February 11. (ANI)