New Delhi: A major political controversy has erupted following remarks by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapoor, who confirmed that face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops are “ongoing” in Arunachal Pradesh. The statement has prompted the opposition Congress party to launch a scathing attack on the Central government, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “deafening silence” on the border developments.
Addressing the security situation, Kapoor highlighted the exceptional performance of the ITBP’s newly raised Shaurya commandos, who specialise in high-altitude warfare, during these confrontations. “Several such situations arose inside Arunachal Pradesh, when face-offs took place, and that is still ongoing,” the ITBP chief stated, lauding the commandos for their exemplary work on the ground.
Seizing on the top official’s admission, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh took to X (formerly Twitter) to severely criticise the Centre’s handling of the border dispute. Ramesh questioned what kind of nationalism allows for a soft approach toward Beijing while the military continues to face physical challenges at the Line of Actual Control.
“While the self-styled Vishwaguru’s calibrated concessions to China continue, the DG, ITBP, has lauded – and rightly so – its performance in recent face-offs with the PLA in Arunachal Pradesh, on which there has been a deafening silence from the PM and his establishment,” Ramesh posted.
The Congress leader further alleged that local residents have reported the loss of Indian patrolling points in Arunachal following corps commander-level talks held at Wacha and Damai last month, drawing troubling parallels to the ongoing situation in eastern Ladakh. Ramesh also raised the alarm over China’s continued renaming of Indian towns in Arunachal Pradesh and its construction of a 60,000-MW dam across the border, which he claimed poses a severe threat to India’s ecological and water security.
Taking aim at the economic relationship between the two nations, Ramesh pointed out that India’s trade deficit with China ballooned to a record $112 billion in 2025-26. He argued that the “Make in India” initiative has effectively turned into “Import from China,” severely harming domestic MSMEs. The Congress leader reiterated his criticism of PM Modi’s June 2020 border address, which the opposition repeatedly characterises as a “clean chit” to China.
While the Central government has not officially responded to the latest barrage of allegations, the ruling BJP has historically rejected the Congress’s claims, accusing the opposition of politicising national security and demoralising the armed forces.