by our special correspondent:
The all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation along the India-China border on Friday saw leaders of major political parties putting across their views on the sensitive issue. The virtual meeting began with participants paying tributes to the 20 Indian soldiers killed in the violent face-off with Chinese troops in East Ladakh earlier this week.
Prime Minister Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar were seen standing in silence as a mark of respect for the fallen army men.Ram Mandir trust suspends plan to start construction of temple in Ayodhya amid standoff at Indo-China border.Indian and Chinese military talks at Galwan valley over clashes along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh region ended on a positive note on Thursday. But nothing seems to have moved on the ground. The talks between the two countries militaries will continue.Meanwhile, election for 19 Rajya Sabha seats were held in eight states today. Of the 19 seats, polling for four each took place in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, three each in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, two in Jharkhand, and one each in Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya.
“We have full faith in the PM. In the past too, when it comes to national security, PM has taken landmark decisions,” said Sikkim Krantikari Morcha chief and Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang in all party meeting chaired by PM Modi over India-China border issues.
The all-party meeting, called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation at the border areas with China was chaired by Modi and the all-party virtual meeting to discussed India-China border situation, at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of the massive military confrontation between India and China in over five decades that occurred between 15 and 16 June.20 Indian Army soldiers were killed in a violent clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley. The Indian army said 18 soldiers were recovering at a hospital in Leh and 58 were in other hospitals. All are expected to rejoin duty in 7-14 days, it added.
Sources say the government will attempted a political consensus on diplomatic and military efforts after the deadly brawl at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, the worst confrontation with China since 1967 in Nathu La when India lost around 80 soldiers while the number of dead on the Chinese side was over 300. The government is likely to appeal for political unity at this time on India’s stand against Chinese aggression.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who dialed all party presidents last evening to invite them to the meeting, is likely to brief the parties and give details of the incident and India’s preparedness. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is expected to do the same on diplomatic efforts to tackle China.PM Modi closed the meeting by reiterating his government’s resolve to protect Indian Territory.
According to a report, ten Indian army personnel detained by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) after the “violent face-off” were handed over to the Indian side, a person familiar with the development said on June 19.
In the meeting Singh and Jaishankar spoke on the stand-off at the meeting, according to early visuals. At the beginning of the meeting, PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, EAM and other leaders of different political parties paid tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in Galwan Valley clash.
Earlier today, news agency ANI reported that 20 parties attend the virtual meeting in which home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and BJP president JP Nadda will also be present. The defence minister had personally called and invited all leaders on behalf of PM Modi on Thursday, ANI further reported. However, Aam Aadmi Party have not been invited to the meeting as reported by PTI. AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the party has a government in Delhi and in Punjab, it is the main opposition party, but still the BJP does not want its opinion on such an important matter.
Lalu Yadav’s RJD was also not invited. Party chief Tejashwi Yadav tweeted asking why his party was not invited.
The Prime Minister has been part of numerous meetings since news of the most significant India-China flashpoint for at least 5 decades occurred in Eastern Ladakh, with Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, the CDS, the three Armed Forces Chiefs and EAM Jaishankar also being involved. There were casualties on the Chinese side as well, though China has censured their numbers. US intelligence states 35 Chinese soldiers were killed. China’s diplomats have similarly obfuscated the sequence of events leading to the clash, though their belligerence and aggression at the LAC has since been exposed.
I thank leaders from all parties, who gave their valued opinions during today’s all-party meet.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 19, 2020
Here are my remarks at the meeting… pic.twitter.com/g9FUADU0Ua
