Army vehicles stop at a base camp in Leh in the cold desert region of Ladakh, 434 kms from Srinagar. Express Photo By Shuaib Masoodi,
Calling the killing of one officer and two soldiers in a violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley last night, the Congress party said there can be no compromise with India’s security and territorial integrity. The party, in a statement, said, “Reports of Chinese Army moving thousands of troops in Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso Lake Area (Ladakh) shocked the entire nation as an audacious attempt on our territorial integrity.”
An Indian Army officer and two soldiers were killed during a face-off with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night, the first such incident in the last 45 years that reflected massive escalation in the five-week border row.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday reviewed the current operational situation in Eastern Ladakh, following Monday’s violent faceoff on the LAC, along with the Chief of Defence Staff and the three service Chiefs. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was also present during the meeting.
Political reactions came in thick and fast following the incident.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress member and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha:
“Our Army Jawans including Colonel have been fallen victims to unscrupulous Chinese aggression. @PMOIndia we need befitting retaliation, retaliation, retaliation! I pay my homage to the brave souls who have laid down their precious lives for the sake of Our Motherland,” Chowdhury said.
Captain Amarinder Singh, Punjab Chief Minister:
“It is time now for India to stand up to these repeated incursions that are a blatant violation of our territorial rights and put a stop to such attacks on our territorial integrity,” said the Chief Minister asserting that every sign of weakness on the part of India makes the Chinese reaction more belligerent.
HD Deve Gowda, Former Prime Minister:
“Why did our soldiers lose their lives during a de-escalation process? In national interest, the PM and RM should offer a clearer picture to the nation on the border issue with the Chinese,” Devegowda said in a tweet.
Omar Abdullah, Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister:
“Since heard no shooting took place. The deaths were the result of violent scuffles & stone pelting. Regardless of the how & the way three Indian army personnel were killed by the Chinese in the line of duty”. To an earlier tweet by news agency AFP, in which it had reported of Beijing accusing India of “crossing border” and “attacking Chinese personnel”, Abdullah had reacted with, “Ulta chor kotwal ko dantey”, which, translated into English, means “the pot calling the kettle black”.