PM “Must Be Mindful Of Implications Of Words”: Manmohan Singh On Ladakh

New Delhi:

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a statement today about the Ladakh crash in which 20 soldiers were killed, said the prime minister must “always be mindful of the implications of his words,” an apparent reference to the controversy over the comments. of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an all-party meeting on Friday.

The former prime minister also said that the Prime Minister and the government must “rise to the occasion to ensure justice for Colonel B. Santosh Babu and our jawans who made the last sacrifice and resolutely defended our territorial integrity. ”

Doing something less “would be a historic betrayal of the people’s faith,” said Manmohan Singh, in his first response to the deadly clash on June 15 in the Galwan Valley.

“Right now, we are at a historical crossroads. The decisions and actions of our government will have a serious influence on how future generations perceive us. Those who guide us bear the weight of solemn duty. And in our democracy that responsibility falls on the Prime Minister’s office. The Prime Minister must always take into account the implications of his words and statements on the security of our nation, as well as strategic and territorial interests, “said Manmohan Singh.

On Friday, at a meeting of all parties, PM Modi had said: “Neither anyone within our territory nor any of our messages are captured.”

Congress took advantage of the statement and questioned whether the Prime Minister meant that the Indian territory had been ceded to China. the The prime minister’s office said Saturday that attempts were being made to give a “mischievous interpretation” to Prime Minister Modi’s comments.

“The Prime Minister’s observations that there was no Chinese presence on our side of LAC referred to the situation as a consequence of the courage of our armed forces. The sacrifices of soldiers from the 16th Bihar Regiment thwarted the Chinese side’s attempt to erect structures and also cleared the transgression attempt at this point in LAC on that day, “the government said.

Manmohan Singh said China blatantly and illegally seeks to reclaim parts of Indian territory, such as the Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso Lake, committing multiple incursions since April. “We cannot and will not be intimidated by threats and intimidations, nor will we allow a compromise with our territorial integrity. The Prime Minister cannot allow them to use his words as a vindication of his position and must ensure that all government bodies work together to deal with this crisis and prevent it from escalating further, ”he said.

“This is a time when we must unite as a nation and unite in our response to this blatant threat. We remind the government that disinformation is not a substitute for diplomacy or decisive leadership. The truth cannot be repressed by having flexible allies issue comforting but false statements, “the two-time prime minister said, referring to political leaders who praised Prime Minister Modi’s position at the meeting of all parties.

In a sharp response to the comments, BJP President JP Nadda called the former prime minister’s statement “a mere play on words” and added: “You only wish that Dr. Singh is so concerned about Chinese designs when As Prime Minister, he abjectly surrendered hundreds of square kilometers of land from India to China, presiding over 600 incursions by China between 2010 and 2013!