Reaching out to the nation and the political class, PM Modi categorically stated in the all-party meeting on Friday that ‘‘neither is anyone inside our territory, nor have any of our posts been captured.’’
However, rather than allay misgivings, his categorical assertion rejecting suggestions that the Chinese had intruded and were sitting on Indian territory, elicited criticism in certain quarters. Sceptics demanded that if China had indeed not crossed over, then did the altercation take place on the Chinese side, as Beijing-controlled media has been suggesting.
At the same time, the PM also asserted that the 20 brave soldiers who laid down their lives in the violent clash with the Chinese troops had "taught a lesson to those who dared to look towards our motherland".
"Neither is anyone inside our territory, nor was any of our posts captured. Twenty of our jawans were martyred, but those who dared Bharat Mata, they were taught a lesson," he said as he insisted that the armed forces were capable of protecting the territorial integrity of the country.
"Whether it is deployment, action, counter-action...air, land or sea, whatever our armed forces have to do to protect our country they will do," he underscored.
He also said India's armed forces have the capability to move into multiple sectors at one go. "Today, we possess the capability that no one can eye even an inch of our land. India's armed forces have the capability to move into multiple sectors at one go. Till now, they were never questioned or stopped; now, our jawans stop them and warn them at multiple sectors," he said.
The Prime Minister also said that the government has given importance to infrastructure development to protect the borders.
"In the past few years to protect our borders we have given importance to infrastructure development. The requirements of our armed forces, be it fighter planes, advanced helicopters, missile defence systems, that too is being given importance," he said.
The Prime Minister and leaders also paid tributes to soldiers who lost their lives.
He said the whole country is hurt and angry at what the Chinese have done. Nonetheless, India wants peace and friendship, but its sovereignty is supreme, he said.
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
