No intrusion into India, no post captured, says PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that neither is anyone inside Indian territory nor has any Indian post been taken over, assuring leaders at an all-party meeting on Friday that soldiers killed in Ladakh had “taught a lesson” to their attackers. The armed forces, he added, have been given the freedom to take necessary action even as diplomatic efforts are on to resolve the standoff with China in Ladakh.

“Neither is anyone inside our territory nor is any of our posts captured. Twenty of our brave soldiers made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in Ladakh but also taught a lesson to those who had dared to look towards our motherland. The country today has such a capability that no one can even dare look towards an inch of our land,” the PM said at the meeting, which he had called after the violent clash between the armies of India and China in Galwan Valley on Monday night.

“India wants peace and friendship, but upholding its sovereignty is foremost,” he said.

Most leaders, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, said they stood with the government and that this was a time to put up a united front.

Modi said the entire country was hurt and angry at the steps taken by China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and that the armed forces were doing the needful.

Better Infra, Better Response: PM
“Be it deployment, action or counter action through land, sea or air, our forces are taking necessary steps to protect the country… The army has been given the freedom to take necessary steps and India has also conveyed its position clearly to China through diplomatic means,” he said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in her remarks earlier, sought an assurance from the PM that status quo ante will be established along the LAC. She also said the government should provide regular updates to the opposition and that the all-party meeting should have been called much sooner.

Prime Minister Modi told the leaders that India’s patrolling capacity along the LAC has increased through the recently developed infrastructure and hence the forces are able to monitor and respond better. “The movement of those which used to take place without any disruption earlier is now checked by our jawans, which at times leads to a buildup of tension,” he said at the meeting, which was held through videoconference.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh and external affairs minister S Jaishankar apprised the leaders of the sequence of events at the LAC and an overview of agreements between India and China on border management.

The PM stressed that the government had given primacy to the development of border area infrastructure to make the border more secure, and Jaishankar provided details of the PM’s directions in this regard in 2014.

“Provision has also been made for fighter planes, modern helicopters, missile defence systems and other such needs of our forces. Through better infrastructure, supply of material and essentials to jawans in the difficult terrain has become comparatively easier,” said Modi. He also stressed that his government has always “stood up to outside pressure” when it comes to counterterrorism, connectivity or trade issues.

West Bengal chief minister Banerjee, an otherwise fierce critic of the government, said she would not say anything that gave a wrong message. China, she said, should not be allowed to enter areas such as telecom, railways and aviation, even if India faces some problems as a result. “China is not a democracy. They are a dictatorship country… they can do what they feel. We on the other hand have to work together. India will win, China will lose,” she said. “This is not the time for politics and we firmly stand with PM Modi on whatever decisions he takes.”

BSP leader Mayawati also said measures should be taken on trade and investment to counter China.

Maharashtra chief minister Thackeray said “the entire country is one and with the Prime Minister” while JD (U) leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, whose party is an alliance partner of the BJP, said there should be no difference among the leaders and that parties should not allow any disunity which can be exploited by other nations.