Neither anyone inside our territory nor any of our post captured: PM

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that neither is anyone inside our territory nor is any of our post captured. He said, twenty of our brave soldiers made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in Ladakh but also taught a lesson to those who had dared to look towards our motherland and nation will forever remember their valour and sacrifice. He said, the Army has been given full freedom to take necessary steps and India has also conveyed its position clearly to China through diplomatic means.

Prime Minister today held an All Party Meeting via video conferencing to discuss the situation in India-China border areas. Presidents of various political parties participated in the meeting.

Mr. Modi underscored that today all of us stand united with the soldiers defending our borders and repose full faith in their courage and bravery. He added that through the All Party Meeting, he wants to assure the families of the martyrs that the entire country stands with them.

He said, the entire country is hurt and angry at the steps taken by China at LAC. He assured the leaders that our armed forces are leaving no stone unturned to protect the country. He emphasized that the country today has such capability that no one can even dare to look towards our land. He said, Indian forces are capable of moving together across sectors.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi says Chinese attack in Galwan valley in Ladakh pre-planned, Modi govt was fast asleep

Prime Minister underscored that India wants peace and friendship, but upholding sovereignty is foremost. He highlighted that the government has given primacy to development of border area infrastructure to make our borders more secure. He said, patrolling capacity at LAC has also increased and country is better informed about the developments at LAC and are able to monitor and respond better. He said, the movement of those which used to take place without any disruption earlier is now checked by our soldiers, which at times leads to build up of tension.

Emphasizing on the commitment of the government towards welfare of the nation and its citizens, Mr. Modi said, be it in trade, connectivity or counter-terrorism, the government has always stood up against outside pressure. On the suggestions received from the various leaders, Prime Minister said, this will help in formultating the future strategy.

In the meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the nation will never forget the sacrifice of our martyrs. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar gave an overview of agreements between India and China on border management and informed about the directions given by the Prime Minister in 2014 to give highest priority to development of infrastructure in border areas.

The leaders of the political parties hailed the bravery displayed by the armed forces in Ladakh. They reposed faith in the leadership of the Prime Minister in this hour of need and expressed commitment to stand united with the government. They also shared their thoughts and ideas on dealing with the situation.

In the meeting, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said, Congress and the entire opposition unitedly stand by our defence forces and are prepared to make any sacrifice to ensure they are battle ready. Sharad Pawar stressed that issues of whether soldiers carried arms or not are decided by international agreements and the parties need to respect sensitivities involved in such matters. Conrad Sangma said, the Prime Minister has been working on infrastructure in the Northeast and that will continue. Mayawati said, this is not the time for politics and her party firmly stands with the Prime Minister. Mamata Bannerjee said that her party stands strongly in solidarity with the government. Nitish Kumar said that there should be no difference amongst the leaders and parties should not allow any disunity which can be exploited by other nations. Chirag Paswan said that the country feels safe under the leadership of the Prime Minister. Uddhav Thackeray lauded the Prime Minister and said that the entire country is one and with the Prime Minister.