At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is advocating a vision of making India "self-reliant", a Chinese firm, Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Company Limited, has bagged a contract to construct a 5.6-kilometre-long underground rail project stretching from the Indian capital New Delhi to the city of Meerut in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
From strongly worded opinions to mean memes: netizens are bombarding Twitter with posts against the "hypocrisy" of PM Modi's government, which has banned over 200 Chinese apps, restricted the participation of Chinese firms in new tech and infrastructure projects, but has now handed over an important contract to a Shanghai-based company.
The hashtag #BoycottChina is yet again trending in the top spot on Twitter in India.
While U were busy to trend #BoycottChina
— Aditya Pandey (@Tweet_by_Aditya) January 4, 2021
Govt. Of India with Sheer Suddenness of the move handed the Delhi-UP rail project worth 30K Crores to the Chinese Firm
Although the Shangai's Firm bidded the lowest in tender but difference with Lnt was just 36 Crore.
'Avoid kar skte the'
Delhi merath RRTS project awarded to chinese firm. Is it justified after Galwan valley incidence? #boycottchina
— बिहारी छोरा (@AmitabhMi) January 4, 2021
Modi ji : Mitron #BoycottChina
— UmderTamker (@jhampakjhum) January 4, 2021
Also, Modi ji gives contract of Delhi-Meerut Railway project to chinese firm.....
Modi ji be like : pic.twitter.com/UxiOA81lHA
Modiji : Vocal for local
— Manjeet Kumar Meena (@98manjeetKumar) January 4, 2021
also Modiji : gives contract of Delhi-Meerut railway project to chinese firm
Meanwhile Indians : #BoycottChina #China pic.twitter.com/MC9OHrx888
After banning the 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝘀 #𝗕𝗼𝘆𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 is trending.
— Prasad Remje (@munna_30_) January 4, 2021
𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 People be like: pic.twitter.com/q4AEuyXjyr
Funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the project is part of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, which will cover a total distance of 82 kilometres and join the cities.
The contract was awarded to the Chinese company by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), executing the country's first Regional Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS).
Citing NCRTC officials, The Print reported that the contract was awarded following a "set procedure", although in June of last year, speculation was rife that the Chinese firm had emerged as the lowest bidder for the construction of this project.
After several rounds of diplomatic talks between India and China over the past nine months, no middle ground to de-escalate the border tensions has yet been found.
Tensions at the so-called Line of Actual Control (LAC) escalated in April 2020 after troops from both countries accused each other of trespassing the loosely demarcated border.
The situation worsened later in June when Indian and Chinese troops engaged in hand-to-hand combat following which Delhi reported the death of 20 soldiers, while Beijing never confirmed any casualties.
