Kathmandu. An all-weather 9.02 km long Atal Tunnel was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3, 2020. Named after the former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who initiated the discussions on building the structure in 2000, the tunnel carries a certain strategic importance for the country. The foundation plaque on the site was laid by Sonia Gandhi, the current President of the Indian National Congress, in 2010.

The plaque, that also bears her name, has now apparently gone “missing”, according to the Congress leaders in Himachal Pradesh. They have claimed that the stone was removed before the inauguration, and have warned the current government that the consequences of the supposed move will be grim. Writing a letter to the Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, the State Party President of the Congress, Kuldeep Singh Rathore pressed on the issue, stating that “If the missing foundation stone is not re-installed, Congress will hold a state-wide agitation against the government.” A case has also been registered with the local authorities in order to launch an investigation into the matter.

Several other Congress leaders have expressed their disappointment with regards to the removal. Congress MLA Asha Kumari mentioned that the project was approved by the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) under the administration of Manmohan Singh. She noted that this action was a result of  “petty politics.”

Unlike the Rohtang Pass, the tunnel is operational throughout the year, and as many believe may give the Indian military an easier access point while moving towards the China border. China, on the other hand, has been skeptical of any strategic value that the tunnel could add to India’s defense. A Chinese Military expert and commentator has contended that the People’s Liberation Army (or PLA) could very easily make the tunnel “unserviceable”, should war break out. Regardless of its many features and advantages, or lack thereof, the primary focus for now is the plaque, and the Congress does not seem like it will sit still, while it believes that the stone was removed as the part of a greater political play.