Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who is on the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, has recalled Col Santosh Babu, who was killed during a skirmish with the Chinese PLA in eastern Ladakh in 2020, and hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for insulting the martyr. Col Santosh Babu, a commanding officer of the 16 Bihar regiment, was among 20 Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the fierce hand-to-hand combat on June 15, 2020, in the Galwan Valley.

“Everyone would remember the name of Col Santosh Babu who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told the nation that China didn’t occupy India’s land. If China didn’t occupy India’s land, then how did Col Babu die? PM Modi has insulted Col Babu,” Gandhi said as he shared a video of his speech during his padyatra in Telangana.

“China is occupying 2,000 sq km of India’s land today. I want to ask PM Modi what action did he take or will he take. I had to rake up the issue in the honour of Col Babu,” Gandhi said, adding that “India has not forgotten its martyrs, nor has it forgotten the betrayal of the BJP”.

Col Babu, a commanding officer of the 16 Bihar regiment, was among 20 Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the fierce hand-to-hand combat on June 15, 2020, in the Galwan Valley, an incident that marked one of the most serious military conflicts between the two sides in decades.

Gandhi took a break on Friday and will resume from Medak in Telangana on Saturday.

Bharat Jodo Yatra will take a day’s break on 4th Nov. We begin afresh from Medak, Telangana on 5th Nov,” the Bharat Jodo’s official Twitter handle said. The yatra will cover 19 assembly and seven parliamentary constituencies in the poll-bound Telangana, spanning a distance of 375 km before entering Maharashtra on November 7.