Reminding Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he should always be mindful of the implications of his words, his predecessor Manmohan Singh said that Government departments should work together not to allow China to use Modi’s ‘no intrusion’ remarks as a vindication of their position. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) countered and said Singh should stop insulting the defence forces.
Singh urged Modi to rise to the occasion and to ensure justice for 20 soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice and resolutely defended our territorial integrity. “To do any less would be a historic betrayal of the people’s faith,” he said.
The former Prime Minister said the sacrifice of soldiers cannot be allowed to be in vain. “They laid down their lives in the ultimate act of sacrifice, valour and duty to our country. Our brave hearts defended the motherland till their last breath, and for that, we owe them, and their families, our eternal gratitude. However, their sacrifice cannot be allowed to be in vain,” Singh said.
Reacting to the statement, BJP President JP Nadda said Singh should understand the true meaning of national unity. “Manmohan Singh can certainly share his wisdom on many subjects, but the responsibilities of the office of the Prime Minister isn’t one of them. UPA personified systematic institutional erosion of that office, combined with disrespect for our armed forces. NDA has reversed that!,” Nadda tweeted.
Nadda added: “One only wishes that Singh was as worried about Chinese designs when, as PM, he abjectly surrendered hundreds of square kilometres of India’s land to China. He presided over 600 incursions made by China between 2010 to 2013!”
Historic moment
Singh said India stands at historic crossroads at this moment. “Our government’s decisions and actions will have serious bearings on how future generations perceive us. Those who lead us to bear the weight of a solemn duty. And in our democracy that responsibility rests with the office of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister must always be mindful of the implications of his words and declarations on our Nation’s security as also strategic and territorial interests,” Singh warned.
The veteran politician added that China is illegally seeking to claim parts of Indian territory such as the Galwan Valley and the Pangong Tso Lake by committing multiple incursions since April 2020. “We cannot and will not be cowed down by threats and intimidation nor permit a compromise with our territorial integrity. The Prime Minister cannot allow them to use his words as a vindication of their position and must ensure that all organs of the government work together to tackle this crisis and prevent it from escalating further,” he suggested.
Unity is strength
He said that people must stand together as a nation and be united in the country’s response to this brazen threat. “We remind the government that disinformation is no substitute for diplomacy or decisive leadership. The truth cannot be suppressed by having pliant allies spout comforting but false statements,” he said.
Later, defending Singh, the Congress asked Nadda and his party to stop compromising on ‘national security’ and India’s ‘territorial integrity’. “This would be the biggest disservice to our Armed Forces and our 20 martyrs. Don’t buckle down, have the strength to ‘rise to the occasion’. We’ll give the government every support,” said Congress’s media in-charge, Randeep Singh Surjewala.