Tue Feb 04 12:59:13 UTC 2025: ## Modi Recommends Book on JFK to MPs Amidst China Border Row Debate

**New Delhi:** Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday recommended MPs read “JFK’s Forgotten Crisis,” a book detailing US foreign policy during John F. Kennedy’s presidency, amidst a heated parliamentary debate over the India-China border dispute. The recommendation, made during his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, was interpreted as a veiled criticism of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s handling of foreign policy crises.

Modi stated the book highlighted “games played” with national security during Nehru’s tenure, a frequent target of the BJP. This followed questions raised by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi regarding alleged territorial concessions to China. Gandhi claimed that India had ceded over 4,000 sq km of territory, a claim vehemently denied by the Prime Minister and subsequently contradicted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor questioned the relevance of the book recommendation, noting that it detailed US assistance to India during the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Tharoor stated that the book’s account contradicted the Prime Minister’s assertion that no land was lost.

The book suggestion came amidst a broader attack by Modi on opposition parties, including the Congress and AAP, touching on allegations of corruption and criticizing the Congress’s “garibi hatao” (eradicate poverty) slogan. Modi claimed his government had lifted 250 million people out of poverty in a decade. The Prime Minister’s remarks set the tone for a fiery parliamentary session.

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