India-China Border News Live Updates | Did not detain Indian soldiers: China rubbishes media reports
India China standoff 2020 Live: Expressing concern over the killing of Indian soldiers, the Ram Mandir trust has put on hold its plan to begin the construction of the temple in Ayodhya.
India China Border Tension Live Updates: Twenty Indian Army personnel were killed in a face-off in Ladakh's Galwan Valley on the night of June 15-16, the Army. Four more Indian soldiers who were in critical condition, are now stable. Amid the Indo-China border standoff, the Ram Mandir trust has put on hold its plan to begin the construction of the temple in Ayodhya. Expressing concern over the killing of Indian soldiers, the trust which has been charged with the construction of the temple after the historic Supreme Court verdict last year, said a new date will be decided soon.
Meanwhile, China has not denied claims that there were casualties on its side too. In a brief statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India wants peace, but is capable of giving a befitting reply if instigated. He has called an all-party meet on June 19 to discuss the situation.
The Army has rushed in additional troops to all sensitive areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters have been moved to forward bases as a precautionary measure, reports suggest. Catch the LIVE updates here:
China says it did not detain Indian soldiers in clash
China says it never detained Indian soldiers after Indian media reports that China had released 10 of them late Thursday. Indian officials have also denied that Indian troops were in Chinese custody.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Friday that “China hasn’t seized any Indian personnel” when asked about the media reports.The comments come as China blames India for a recent military clash at their border that left 20 people dead.
Zhao said that “the right and wrong is very clear and the responsibility lies entirely with the Indian side.”He added that the two sides are in communication over diplomatic and military channels.
“We hope India can work with China to maintain the long-term development of bilateral relations,” he said at a daily briefing. This week’s confrontation in the Galwan Valley, part of the disputed Ladakh region along the Himalayan frontier, was the deadliest conflict between the sides in 45 years.
– AP
India-China Border News LIVE | IAF Chief visits Leh to review Ladakh operations, fighter aircraft moved to forward bases
Indian Air Force (IAF) chief RKS Bhadauria was on a two-day hush-hush visit to the Leh and Srinagar airbases, which would be the most critical for any operations to be carried out by the force the Eastern Ladakh area.
The visit assumes significance as it came soon after the top security brass of the country reviewed the situation and military options after the Chinese Army killed 20 Indian soldiers in a premeditated attack in the Galwan Valley area after making an attempt to unilaterally change the status of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
"The Air Force chief was on a two day visit where he checked the operational readiness of all along the LAC in the Eastern Ladakh where more than 10,000 troops have been amassed by China," government sources told ANI.
In the first leg of his visit, he was in Leh on June 17 and from there he went to the Srinagar airbase on June 18. Both these bases are closest to the Eastern Ladakh area and most suited to carry out any fighter aircraft operations in the mountainous terrain and also have a clear edge over the Chinese, the sources said.
India-China Border News LIVE | 20 parties to attend PM's all-party meet on India-China border situation
At least 20 political parties are likely to attend the all party meeting, called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation at the border areas with China that is scheduled to be held on June 19 at 5 pm, sources told ANI.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda will also be present in the virtual party meeting. According to sources, former BJP chief Rajnath Singh had on Thursday personally invited all leaders on behalf of the Prime Minister.
After coming in for criticism from parties such as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and RJD that they had not received any invitation to the meet, sources clarified that only recognised national parties, those with over five MPs in the Lok Sabha, leading parties from the Northeast and parties with Union Cabinet Ministers had been invited.
"In order to discuss the situation in the India-China border areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an all-party meeting at 5 pm on June 19. Presidents of various political parties would take part in this virtual meeting, PMO had tweeted.
- ANI
India-China Border News LIVE | 20 parties to attend PM's all-party meet on India-China border situation: ANI
India-China Border News LIVE | AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to take part in all-party meet on India-China standoff
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will participate in the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to discuss the India-China border situation, according to an official statement. The CM will participate in the meeting to be held through a video conference, it said.
Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh talked to the Chief Minister on phone and briefed him about the meeting to be held on Friday, it added.
This is the first time since the eruption of border tensions in April that the PM has called for an all-party meeting to discuss the conflict. So far, his virtual meetings with opposition leaders have been on the coronavirus pandemic.
- PTI
India-China Border News LIVE | Chinese attack in Galwan pre-planned, Govt was fast asleep: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on June 19 said it is now clear that the Chinese attack in Galwan valley in Ladakh was "pre-planned" and that the government was "fast asleep" while the martyred jawans paid the price. Gandhi's attack comes ahead of the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on evening of June 19 to discuss the situation along the India-China border.
"It's now crystal clear that: The Chinese attack in Galwan was pre-planned. GOI was fast asleep and denied the problem. The price was paid by our martyred Jawans," he said on Twitter.
He tagged a report quoting minister of state for Defence Shripad Naik, saying the attack was pre-planned by China and the Indian forces will give a befitting reply. Gandhi has been questioning the government on the LAC stand off and asking how the Chinese occupied Indian territory and why Indian soldiers were sent "unarmed to martyrdom" in Ladakh.
- PTI
India-China Border News LIVE | PM Modi calls all-party meeting on June 19
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called an all-party meet on June 19 to discuss the India-China border situation. It has been learnt that all recognised national parties -- those with over five MPs in the Lok Sabha, leading parties from the northeast and parties with Union Cabinet ministers -- have been invited for the meeting.
In a brief statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that India wants peace, but is capable of giving a befitting reply if instigated. The meeting comes against the backdrop of demands by the opposition seeking details of the violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh which left 20 Indian Army personnel dead.