After ‘Go corona’, Union Minister Athawale says boycott Chinese food

After giving India the catchy, hit slogan ‘Go corona, corona go’, Republican Party of India (RPI-A) leader Ramdas Athawale on Thursday (June 18) urged people in the country to boycott not just Chinese goods and literature but also the cuisine and asked for a ban on the restaurants which serve them.

“Restaurants selling Chinese food should be banned. Restaurants should be closed by the order of the state government. I appeal to people who consume Chinese food to boycott it,” Athawale told ANI.

“Chinese literature, its products should be banned and its companies too should not be given business here. We should develop such companies which can manufacture the same products in India,” he added.

Union Minister Athawale said this after at least 20 Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel rank officer, lost their lives in the violent face-off in the Galwan valley area of Ladakh on June 15.

The 60-year-old leader further warned China not to enter Indian territory, stating that a war would prove very costly for both the countries.

Related news: Galwan clash: India, China hold talks to defuse tension

“They took Buddha from us, once entire China was Buddhist. But, currently, they have turned Communist. But we don’t want ‘yuddha’ (war) with them. We want peace with China. A war will prove costly for both, they need to rethink this,” Athawale said.

“They should stop doing these activities (on the border). They have no right to come on our border, ‘humare aangan me unka kya kaam hai‘ (what is your job in our area). If we are not attempting to control your area, why are you doing so?” he questioned.

Since the face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers that claimed some lives on both sides, social media has been abuzz with movements calling for banning of China and its products.

Videos from some parts of the country shows people destroying their electronics such as TV, phones, and toys that are ‘made-in-China’ products.

There have been calls to stop using mobile apps and software with roots in China, such as the video-sharing app TikTok.

On national level, Indian and China on Thursday sat down for another round of major general-level talks, following failed attempts to reach a consensus during talks on Wednesday.