A political war of words erupted on Tuesday after Congress MP Manish Tewari warned that India could soon face a “robot PLA” along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) if it fails to keep pace with China’s rapid technological advances.
In a post on X, Tewari highlighted China’s progress in humanoid robotics and claimed that Beijing is ahead of the US in 67 of 75 critical technologies. He said the developments should serve as a “reality check” for India’s technological preparedness.
Sambit Patra Hits Back At Congress
Responding sharply, BJP MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra said India’s priority should be to fight the “Congress mindset” at the LAC and international borders.
Patra alleged that Congress leaders had been present inside Chinese tents during the Doklam standoff and accused the opposition party of discouraging the Indian Army.
‘Rahul Gandhi Is The Chinese Robot’
Targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Patra said Gandhi was the “Chinese robot” whose mindset needed to be challenged.
“Rahul Gandhi said ‘maar dala hamare army ko’,” Patra said, accusing the Congress leader of making statements that allegedly undermine the armed forces. He added that such a mindset had to be countered democratically.
China’s Growing Robotics Push
The exchange came days after Chinese humanoid robots attracted global attention following claims that one robot had run 100 metres faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second world record. However, the performance claims have not been independently verified.
The political clash has once again brought India-China military preparedness, technological competition and the LAC to the centre of the political debate, with the BJP and Congress trading sharp allegations over national security and India’s approach towards China.
Keywords: Sambit Patra, Rahul Gandhi, Manish Tewari, Chinese robot, Robot PLA, LAC, India-China border, BJP, Congress, China technology
