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Updated: Mar 14, 2019 13:50 IST

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday launched a counter-attack Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his tweet targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi after China blocked a UN resolution against terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. Prasad said Gandhi “seems to be happy” over technical hold placed by China on the UN resolution.

Prasad’s strong remark followed Gandhi’s attack on PM Modi which saw a war of words between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the backdrop of China’s decision to block a fresh move to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council.

Gandhi attacked PM Modi over his China policy. In a tweet, Gandhi said PM Modi is “weak and scared” of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“Weak Modi is scared of Xi. Not a word comes out of his mouth when China acts against India. NoMo’s China Diplomacy: 1. Swing with Xi in Gujarat 2. Hug Xi in Delhi 3. Bow to Xi in China,” read Gandhi’s post on Twitter.

Prasad hit back at the Congress president saying, “Rahul Gandhi is in celebratory mood when the country stands pained over this attitude of China…What has happened to you Rahul Gandhi? Your tweet must be headline news in Pakistan.”

This was the fourth time in 10 years that China has blocked move to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. Prasad

This was the fourth time that China blocked the move at the UN Sanctions Committee, a move that has come as a relief to Pakistan which was under international pressure to take action against terror groups, including JeM, operating from its soil.

The pressure escalated after the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed by a JeM suicide bomber.

Gandhi has been critical of Modi and the government over the Doklam issue. Addressing booth workers of Delhi on Monday, the Congress president claimed that when Modi was giving company to Chinese President on a swing during his visit to India, the Chinese army same time entered Doklam.

The BJP was quick to hit back at Gandhi, saying his great grandfather and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was responsible for China’s entry in the UN Security Council.

“China wouldn’t be in UNSC had your great grandfather not ‘gifted’ it to them at India’s cost. India is undoing all mistakes of your family,” the BJP said on its twitter handle.

“Be assured that India will win the fight against terror. Leave it to PM Modi while you keep cosying up with the Chinese envoys secretly,” it added.

At his press conference, Prasad cited a 2004-article published in The Hindu to claim that Nehru had declined a US offer to take a permanent seat on the UNSC. The Union minister also quoted senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor to state that Nehru suggested the name of China for the UNSC seat then held by Taiwan.

“Please see if there are pitfalls in the course you are taking Mr Rahul Gandhi,” Prasad said adding, the Congress president is “seen closer to Masood Azhar” with his comment posted on Twitter.

He said the Congress party’s “commitment to fight terror is suspect today”.

On Wednesday, France, the US and the UK moved a resolution at the UNSC to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. But the resolution could not be passed as China stuck to its old stand.

Later, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing needed “more time” to conduct “thorough and in-depth investigation” in the matter.