Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley assured Opposition leaders on Saturday that the government would use diplomatic channels to defuse tension with China. Press Trust of India photo
Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley assured Opposition leaders on Saturday that the government would use diplomatic channels to defuse tension with China.
The two ministers met leaders of the second set of political parties, including former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, CPI national secretary D Raja, Akali Dal’s Naresh Gujral and RSP’s N K Premachandran. Following presentations by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Home Secretary-designate Rajiv Gauba, the leaders also discussed the Kashmir situation.
On Friday, government had spoken to leaders of 19 parties, including Congress, CPM, Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena.
Leaders present at Saturday’s meeting said there was a unanimous view that the government should negotiate with the Chinese to end the Doklam standoff. Sources said Gowda assured his party’s support to the government on both the Chinese and Kashmir issues.
“Everybody knows the impact of war. Whatever measures have to be taken (to defuse tension), we have discussed that,” Gowda told reporters after the meeting.