Ladakh face-off LIVE: China's claim over Galwan Valley untenable, says MEA

Twenty Indian soldiers died in a violent clash with Chinese People's Liberation Army troops at Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh on Monday night. Catch latest updates

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India stands firmly united behind its armed forces in this challenging time: Congress

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India wants peace but capable of giving befitting reply if instigated: PM Narendra Modi

In a strong message to China after the killing of at least 20 Indian soldiers in the violent face-off with Chinese troops, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India wants peace but is capable of giving a befitting reply, if instigated.

 

"We have prayed for the welfare of humanity. We have always worked with neighbouring countries in a friendly way and cooperation. We have always tried that our differences should not turn into disputes. We never provoke anyone. But we can never compromise on country's integrity and sovereignty. We have always displayed our power in protecting the country's integrity and sovereignty," the Prime Minister said.

 

"I would like to assure the nation that the sacrifice of our soldiers will not be in vain. For us, the unity and sovereignty of the country are most important. And no one can stop protecting our country. India wants peace but it is capable of giving a befitting reply if provoked. "The country is proud of them as they sacrificed their lives while killing the enemy," he added.

 

The Prime Minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of 15 States and Union Territories, who are present in the meeting via video-conferencing today, observed a two-minute silence as a tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the violent face-off.

 

At least 20 Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel rank officer, had lost their lives in the violent face-off in the Galwan valley area of Ladakh on June 15. The violent face-off happened in Galwan valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on June 16.

 

Prime Minister Modi has called for an all-party meeting to discuss the situation in the India-China border areas on June 19.

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My son sacrificed his life for the nation. I have two grandsons, I will send them too: Father of martyred Galwan Vally soldier

3:59 PM

Congress urges the Centre to come clean on India-China LAC stand-off

The Congress on Wednesday held the Narendra Modi-led central government responsible for the violent face-off with Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in Ladakh wherein 20 Indian soldiers were martyred.

 

Prime minister Narendra Modi and his government is quiet now. The country had not expected that the government's silence of 40 days will result in this, AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters at a hotel. The country had to see the heart wrenching day due to the failure of the Centre, he said.

 

Saying that China captured India's land and soldiers got martyred, Surjewala asked what did the prime minister and defense minister do except for keeping silence.

 

He said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders have often urged the Centre to come clean on the situation at the border and how much area the Chinese had captured. But a careless and failed government kept busy in conspiracies to topple the governments of opposition parties and hid the truth of the border from the country. The priority of the BJP government is not the country, but rule of the party, he alleged.

 

There is a ban on questions' and information' in the Modi government. Today everything is being hidden from the country. But does the Modi government have any answer for those mothers who sacrificed their sons for defending the country? he said.

 

Surjewala said the entire country and the Congress party was standing with the government on every issue of national security and integrity, but the government will have to take the nation into confidence. The prime minister will have to tell the truth of how China occupied our land and how our 20 soldiers got martyred. What is the situation today on the ground and how many our officers and soldiers are missing or injured, he said.

 

Now it is the responsibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government to take the country and the countrymen into confidence, he added. Twenty Indian Army personnel including a colonel were killed in a fierce clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff in the region.

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In this time of crisis, Congress stands with army and govt; confident that country will unite to face enemy: Sonia Gandhi on India-China stand-off

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PM Modi should tell the truth to the country that how did China occupy our land and why did our 20 soldiers lose their lives: Sonia Gandhi

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Galwan Valley LIVE: 'Don't wish to see more clashes with India', says China

After Monday's violent face-off between Chinese and Indian troops in the Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh area, China on Wednesday said that it does not wish to see "more clashes" with India.

 

"From the Chinese side, we do not wish to see more clashes," said Zhao Lijian, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson on Galwan valley clash, which caused causalities on both sides. "We are having communication through diplomatic and military channels. The right and wrong of this is very clear... The incident happened on the Chinese side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) and China is not to blame for it," Lijian added.

 

Beijing even went on to claim the sovereignty over the Galwan valley area and accused India of violating border protocols.

 

"The sovereignty of the Galwan valley area has always belonged to China. The Indian border troops flip-flopped and seriously violated our border protocols on border-related issues and the consensus of our commander level talks," Lijian said.

 

He further asked India to "strictly discipline its frontline troops, stop infringing and provocative activity at once and work with China and come back to the right track of resolving the differences through dialogue and talk."

 

On Tuesday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said that violent face-off happened on late evening and night of June 15 in the Galwan valley was caused by Chinese troops' attempt to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.

 

Srivastava had said both sides suffered casualties in the violent face-off and the Chinese side departed from the consensus to respect the LAC in the Galwan valley. Responding to media queries on the situation in the western sector of the India-China border, Srivastava had said that India and China have been discussing through military and diplomatic channels the de-escalation of the situation in the border area in Eastern Ladakh.

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