PM Modi Must Clear his Statement on China’s Position: Kapil Sibal

Congress Party has slammed Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, for his statement during the all-party meeting June 17, 2020. Senior Congress leader, Kapil Sibal said that had not PM Modi in a way endorsed the Chinese position that they never intruded into our territories? PM Modi must clarify the facts.

Sibal said, "It is clear that Prime Minister's statement of June 19, 2020 is in contradiction of the statements made by the Defence Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister and Army Chief”. Until the Chinese retreat and status quo is restored, our Government should not let up or appear to cede any part of these territories to the Chinese.

The Congress asked, despite the statement of security experts, army generals & satellite imagery depicting Chinese intrusion into Pangong Tso Lake up to nearly eight km, construction of over 60 permanent structures, including bunkers and boat pads & occupation up to Finger 4, why is the government denying the brazen Chinese transgression? The Congress leader raised the issue of the PM's statement in the all-party meeting that "no one intruded into our territory" and asked "Why did PMO delete these words from the official statement? And if no one intruded into our territory, how did our 20 soldiers die? How 85 jawans were seriously injured and how were 10 officers and jawans captured by the Chinese? Why the statement of the External Affairs Ministry does dated June 20, 2020, contradict the PM's statement on incursions by the Chinese?

The party asked why the Prime Minister was denying his own Defense Minister and External Affairs Minister's statements that Chinese have sought to "erect structure in the Galwan Valley on our side? “Why is PM refuting the statement of the Defense Minister on Chinese presence in large numbers and EAM's statement that we seek to restore 'status quo ante'? Didn't the Army Chief clearly state that 'disengagement' is underway? If 'no one has intruded into our territory' and 'no one is occupying our territory', what was being erected by China or what status quo ante or disengagement were we seeking?

The Congress said that entire nation stands solidly behind the armed forces and the government on every step that they will take to defend India's territorial integrity. Sibal said, “India's armed forces and the people of India will protect our territorial integrity with all the might. We will never compromise on issues of national security”. He said, “Our territorial integrity will not be compromised under any circumstances. We will repulse every sinister design of China to usurp India's territory. Any attempt by China to illegally appropriate India's territory will be repelled”.