Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi, says "Mr 56" hasn't said 'China' in months

New Delhi: In a fresh jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid ongoing tension with China, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his second day of the campaign in Tamil Nadu alleged Chinese troops have occupied Indian territory and the man with "56 inch-chest" cannot even utter the name of the neighbouring country.

He also accused the centre of adopting policies that weaken the nation and thereby giving China the opportunity to push into its territory.

"For the first time, the Indian people can see that Chinese troops have occupied Indian territory. As we speak today, thousands of Chinese troops are occupying our territory and the man with a 56-inch chest cannot even say the word China. That is the reality of our country," Gandhi was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Offering a solution to the "China problem", Mr Gandhi also shared a clip of his address in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, where he addressed a gathering of small and medium businessmen.

"India's strength is a strong economy, employed youth and social harmony. Had Mr Modi protected our farmers, labourers, workers instead of hollowing out India by helping his crony capitalist friends, China wouldn't have had the guts to take our land," he wrote on Twitter.

The jibe came amid reports of several Indian soldiers injured in a physical brawl with the Chinese soldiers along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) last week near Naku La area in Sikkim.

This was within hours of the latest and ninth round of border talks that lasted almost 15 hours but ended with no solution in sight to the ongoing border standoff.