Rahul Gandhi gets tough over Ladakh standoff, asks Rajnath Singh straight up

New Delhi : Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, miffed with Rajnath Singh's poetic reply on Ladakh standoff, posted a straight-up question, asking, "Have the Chinese occupied Indian territory in Ladakh?"

He posted the question via a tweet that read, "Once RM (Rajnath Singh) is done commenting on the hand symbol, can he answer: Have the Chinese occupied Indian territory in Ladakh?"

On Monday evening, Rajnath Singh had taken a swipe at the Congress party using its "hand symbol" in a tweaked version of an Urdu poet's creation.

It all started with Rahul Gandhi's sarcastic jibe on Amit Shah's claims regarding Indian border security and safety during his virtual rally in Bihar. "Everyone knows the reality of 'Seema' (Border) but to keep the heart happy, 'Shah-yad' it is a good idea," Rahul Gandhi had tweeted.

Hours later, Rajnath Singh replied to Rahul Gandhi's statement and wrote: "When there is a pain in the hand then get treatment, but what should one do when the hand is the pain itself."

From the past couple of days, Rahul Gandhi had been targeting and questioning government's move over Chinese troops presence in the Indian territory at Ladakh.

The tension between the two sides sharply escalated after reports of skirmishes between soldiers in the Pangong Lake region on May 5 and May 6.