Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Defence and BJP leader Jual Oram on Thursday said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi didn't walk out from the Defence Committee meeting, but he took permission to leave.
"Rahul Gandhi raised issues (situation along the Line of Actual Control, China, Taliban) but didn't walk out. After discussions, he took permission to leave. He raised border situation issue and more but no agenda has been finalised," Jual Oram was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday had reportedly walked out of a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence meeting over differences on the composition of the panel's agenda.
According to reports, the committee had met to 'Review the Working of Cantonment Boards. But, Rahul Gandhi stressed that rather than discussing the working of board, the panel should deliberate on more relevant and important security issues like the standoff with China in eastern Ladakh and the terror threats from Pakistan.
Gandhi also raised the issues of the Taliban capturing fresh territories in Afghanistan, China's growing influence in Sri Lanka and the impact of these developments on India.
Earlier on Wednesday, despite the Indian Army's rebuttal, Rahul Gandhi referred to a media report, which suggested there was an altercation between Indian and Chinese forces in the Galwan valley.
There was a clash between Indian and Chinese Armies in Galwan Valley on June 15 last year, in which 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese soldiers lost their lives.
"GOI's use of foreign and defence policy as a domestic political tool has weakened our country. India has never been this vulnerable," Gandhi said along with the screenshot of the media report.
The report also suggested that the Chinese Army has been building up along the eastern Ladakh border and has deployed troops in large numbers.
The Army denied the reports saying the article was "riddled with inaccuracies and misinformation".
"It is reiterated that the news report mentioning that agreements with China have collapsed, is false and baseless," the Army statement said.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
