'PM's foreign policy reason for China not listing Masood'

Activists raise slogans during a protest against Chinese President Xi Jinping after China blocked the attempt to list JeM Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, in Bhopal, on Thursday. Pic/PTI

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy vis-a-vis China yet again blocking the bid to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

With China for the fourth time putting on hold the proposal against Azhar in the UN Security Council, Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said it was a major setback for the global fight against terrorism and "reaffirms Chinese position of being an inseparable ally of terrorism's breeding ground Pakistan".

"The present situation also arises out of failure of a weak-kneed Modi government, bending over backwards before China over last five years, which has culminated into the present state of things where the Chinese have blocked Masood Azhar's declaration as an 'international terrorist', without any reason and only to please its ally Pakistan."

"Will Modi answer the nation as to why he became 'Maun Modi' (silent) as India's interests were repeatedly compromised?" asked Surjewala, questioning the Prime Minister's silence on China building a full-fledged military complex in Doklam, near the Indian Army posts.

India, Pakistan hold Kartarpur corridor talks
In the shadow of escalating tension in their ties, India and Pakistan on Thursday held in a "cordial environment" their first meeting to finalise the modalities for a corridor linking Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in the Pakistani town of Kartarpur with Gurdaspur district in Punjab. A joint statement issued after the talks said both sides agreed to work on the project expeditiously.

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