After Go Corona Go, Ramdas Athawale calls for ban on Chinese foods

Union minister Ramdas Athawale. Picture/Twitter Ramdas Athawale

Amid the rising tension between India and China that started after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh, there has been an increasing demand by politicians across parties to ban Chinese goods and to even snap professional ties with the neighbouring country.

On Wednesday, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale called for a ban on restaurants that are selling Chinese food in India. The Republican Party of India (RPI-A) leader urged people across the country to boycott Chinese food. He also said that both the products that come from China and its literature should also be banned in the country.

While condemning the gruesome act, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment said in a tweet in Hindi, "Restaurants selling Chinese food should be banned. Restaurants should be closed by the order of the state government. I appeal to people who consume Chinese food to boycott it".

Taking to the micro-blogging site Athawale tweeted, "China is a country that betrays. India should boycott all products that are made in China. All restaurants and hotels that sell Chinese food in India should be closed down."

The 60-year-old minister also asked the neighbouring country to reconsider its action and warned them to stop their wicked activities on the India-China border. "You took Buddha from us but we don't want yuddha (war) with you. A war will prove to be costly for both countries, economically and loss of lives will also occur. If we (Indians) are not crossing the border then why are you doing so?," Athawale said while speaking to ANI.

Besides Ramdas Athawale, Maharashtra Cabinet minister and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad urged the Central government to scrap the Delhi-Meerut Metro work contract that was bagged by a Chinese firm. Taking to Twitter the NCP leader wrote, "On June 12, the Delhi-Meerut Metro project work was given to Chinese firm Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Company, by sidelining the Indian company L&T. Then on June 15, the Chinese killed our 20 jawans. What kind of a foreign policy is this?" The Minister has also sought that the Centre "teach a lesson" to China.

Welcoming people's decision to boycott Chinese good, BJP leader and MP Ram Madhav told ANI, "We should reduce imports from other countries, specifically from China. If people want to boycott Chinese products, we respect their sentiments."

Ever since the news of Indian soldiers being killed broke out, anti-China protests have been help across several parts of the country. Soon #BoycottChineseProducts started to trend on Twitter as netizens paid humble tributes paid tributes to the Army personnel killed during a clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh.

Here's how netizens reacted to #BoycottChineseProducts:

Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an all-party meeting on June 19 over the India-China border issue, he has sent out a clear signal to the neighbouring country saying that India won't tolerate any misadventures when it comes to defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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