Miram Taron, the boy allegedly kidnapped by the Chinese army, is believed to be a local hunter
New Delhi:
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi ripped into Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday, after reports the Chinese Army has kidnapped a 17-year-old boy from Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district.
“Just a few days before Republic Day a young boy, the future of India, was kidnapped by China. We stand with the family of Miram Taron and will not give up hope… won’t accept defeat,” Mr Gandhi said.
“The Prime Minister’s silence is his statement… he doesn’t care,” he tweeted.
गणतंत्र दिवस से कुछ दिन पहले भारत के एक भाग्य विधाता का चीन ने अपहरण किया है- हम मीराम तारौन के परिवार के साथ हैं और उम्मीद नहीं छोड़ेंगे, हार नहीं मानेंगे।
PM की बुज़दिल चुप्पी ही उनका बयान है- उन्हें फ़र्क़ नहीं पड़ता!
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 20, 2022
Mr Gandhi’s furious outburst comes a day after MP Tapir Gao alleged that the China People’s Liberation Army had abducted the boy from the northeastern state’s Lungta Jor area.
Taron’s friend, Johny Yaiying, managed to escape and informed authorities about the kidnapping, Mr Gao told news agency PTI over the phone from Ziro, the Lower Subansiri district headquarters.
Both Taron and Yaiying are local hunters, the MP told PTI.
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His friend escaped from PLA and reported to the authorities.
All the agencies of Govt of India is requested to step up for his early release.@narendramodi@AmitShah@rajnathsingh@PemaKhanduBJP@ChownaMeinBJP@adgpi— Tapir Gao (@TapirGao) January 19, 2022
The alleged incident took place near the Tsangpo River’s entry into India; the Tsangpo becomes the Siang when it enters Arunachal Pradesh and the Brahmaputra River when it enters Assam.
“All agencies of the Government of India are requested to step up for his early release,” Mr Gao said, tagging PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Indian Army.
In September 2020, the PLA kidnapped five boys from the Upper Subansiri district. They were released a week later, but not before the Indian Army reached out to defuse the situation.
In March the same year a 21-year-old man was abducted by the Chinese from the same area, before he too was released after intervention from the Indian Army.
Meanwhile, yesterday Mr Gandhi took a swipe at the Prime Minister over China’s construction of a bridge spanning the Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh.
“China is building a illegal bridge in our country. The PLA’s spirits are increasing due to the silence of the PM. Now (there is) a fear the PM may not reach to inaugurate this bridge too,” he tweeted.
हमारे देश में चीन एक कूटनीतिक पुल का निर्माण कर रहा है।
PM की चुप्पी से PLA के हौसले बढ़ते जा रहे हैं।अब तो ये डर है कहीं PM इस पुल का भी उद्घाटन करने ना पहुँच जायें। pic.twitter.com/OMcCC3wxXD
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 19, 2022
The External Affairs Ministry this month said the bridge over Pangong Lake was being built in areas “that have been under illegal occupation by China for around 60 years now”.
With input from PTI