At an all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening to discuss the Ladakh clash in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the first opposition Speaker, delivered a sharp critique on being kept “in the dark even at this late stage”. But most leaders, including Mamata Banerjee and Uddhav Thackeray, expressed solidarity with the government in its response to Chinese aggression.
“This meeting, in my view, should have come sooner and immediately after the government had been reportedly informed about the Chinese intrusion on May 5 into several places in Ladakh and elsewhere,” Sonia Gandhi said, speaking first.
“As always, the entire nation would have stood together like a rock and fully supported the government of the day in the steps required to defend the territorial integrity of the country. Alas, that was not to be. In fact, even at this late stage, we are still in the dark about many crucial aspects of the crisis,” she remarked, raising a series of questions.
The Congress president closed her statement with the assertion that her party and the entire opposition “unitedly stand by our defence forces” and added that the entire country would like an assurance that China will revert back to the original position on the Line of Actual Control.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose recent interactions with the centre on the coronavirus battle have been most acrimonious, chose to make a strong statement of support.
The all-party meeting, she said, was a good message for the nation and showed that “we are united behind our jawans”. Ms Banerjee said her Trinamool Congress party stood strongly in solidarity with the government.
“We will not talk anything that gives a wrong message. Queries also we will raise internally. We will not bow down our head to China. China is not a democracy. They are a dictatorship. We on the other hand have to work together. India will win, China will lose. Speak with unity. Think with unity. Work with unity,” she said.
Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray, the Maharashtra Chief Minister, also set aside his bitterness with former ally BJP and said: “We are all one. We are with you, Prime Minister. I want to praise you for talking to us. India is Majboot (strong), not Majboor (helpless). Our government has the ability to gouge out and hand them their eyes”.
NCP leader Sharad Pawar stressed that issues like whether the soldiers carried arms or not are decided by international agreements. “We need to respect such sensitive matters,” Mr Pawar said, appearing to make a point about ally Congress’s Rahul Gandhi attacking the government in daily tweets.
Mr Gandhi had yesterday tweeted that soldiers were sent “unarmed to martyrdom”. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had rebutted him, saying soldiers always carry their arms but the use of firearms is against the established rules of engagement.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhara Rao gave a strong endorsement of PM Modi’s policies. “The PM’s clarity on Kashmir has angered China. The PM’s emphasis on Kashmir’s development has also angered China. The PM’s call of AatmaNirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) has rattled China,” Mr Rao said.
Uttar Pradesh politician Mayawati, the chief of the BSP, said this was not the time for politics and stressed that she firmly stood by PM Modi’s decisions.
The video meeting began with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the foreign minister briefing the parties on the deadly brawl at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, the worst confrontation with China since 1967 in Nathu La.
Some 76 soldiers were injured as the Chinese assaulted them with hand-made weapons like spiked clubs, rods wrapped in barbed wire and rocks.
