Boycott Chinese food & ban restaurants that serve it: Ramdas Athawale's anti-China demand

Amid anti-China sentiment and a campaign in India to boycott Chinese products, taking a step forward on Thursday, the Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale demanded that restaurants selling Chinese food should be banned. He appealed to people to ban Chinese food. 

After Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed at the Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh, in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred, anti-China protests began at multiple locations across the country. The agitators demanded revenge, boycotting of Chinese products, and severing trade ties.

On Wednesday, RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) held a similar protest in New Delhi demanding a boycott of Chinese products. Reacting to these protests, China has said that India should curb ‘boycott China’ voices after the border clash.

READ | Rahul Gandhi demands to know why Indian soldiers were unarmed at LAC flashpoint with China

From Go Corona Go to Boycott Chinese food

In March, a video of Athawale, Chinese Consul General in Mumbai Tang Guocai and Buddhist monks chanting 'Go corona, go corona' at a prayer meet went viral on social media. The video was reportedly shot at Gateway of India on February 20 during a prayer session to stop the spread of the coronavirus in China.

Trade body appeals to boycott Chinese products 

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has launched a nation-wide campaign called 'Bharatiya Saaman-Hamara Abhiman' to boycott Chinese products, in which it has asked celebrities from Bollywood and sporting fraternities to also join. 

In an open letter addressed to Indian celebrities released on June 18, CAIT has appealed to Bollywood and sports stars endorsing Chinese brands such as Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Virat Kohli & others to stop endorsing Chinese products whereas on the other hand, the CAIT has invited Amitabh Bachhan, Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty, Madhuri Dikshit, Mahender Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and others to join the campaign of CAIT to boycott Chinese products under its flagship national movement " Bhartiya Saaman - Hamara Abhiman".

CAIT has also issued a list of Chinese products that should be boycotted. 

READ | NCW Chief pledges & appeals to never buy anything made-in-China, after violent clash

NCW chief pledges to not buy Chinese products

National Commission for Women (NCW) Chief Rekha Sharma on Tuesday pledged to never buy anything made in China following the violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley, Ladakh, on Monday. 

Expressing pride in her forces, Rekha Sharma tweeted, "My Husband's regiment Bihar Regiment officer martyred in scuffle with China. I am sure he must have killed many before attaining martyrdom. Jai Hind jai Hind ki Saina." Shortly after this, she asked people to join her in boycotting all Chinese products.

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Sonam Wangchuk's appeal 

Even before the clash, Engineer turned education reformer Sonam Wangchuk posted a message on Twitter that went viral on the platform — "Cheen ko Jawaab, Sena degi bullet se, Naagrik dengey wallet se (Answer to China will be given by soldiers with their bullets and citizens with their wallets)".

Speaking to Republic TV on Friday, Sonam Wangchuk said the Chinese actions on the border with India are a result of domestic dissatisfaction over the Chinese government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis. He encouraged people to drop the use of Chinese softwares "within a week". Wangchuk went on to suggest that Indians need not depend on cheap Chinese products and look for domestic alternatives.

READ | 'Uninstall Chinese software, boycott hardware': Sonam Wangchuk's clarion call for Indians