national
Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020
Sonia asks PM how Chinese occupied Indian territory
NEW DELHI, JUN 17 (PTI): Congress president Sonia Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday to come forward and tell the country how Chinese troops occupied Indian territory and why 20 soldiers were killed. In a video message, she assured the country of her party’s full support to the Indian Army and government and said, “I am confident that in these challenging times, the entire nation will unite to face the enemy.” “I urge the prime minister to come before the country and reassure it on the basis of truth and facts in this hour of crisis,” she added. Gandhi asked whether some Indian Army personnel were still missing and how many were still seriously injured. She said the government should explain its thinking and strategy to deal with the situation on the border in Ladakh. “Today, when there is so much anger in the country over Chinese intru-
Rahul Gandhi asks PM to tell the truth
Sonia Gandhi addresses on Indian Army face-off with Chinese troops at Galwan valley via video link. (video grab/PTI)
sion into Indian border, the prime minister should come out and tell the truth on how the Chinese occupied the Indian territory, why brave soldiers were martyred and what is the current situation along the LAC,” she said. Gandhi assured the country of Congress party’s complete solidarity with the Army and government and said, “In this time of crisis, Congress stands with the Indian Army, the soldiers, their families and the government.” She asked the prime minister to detail as to what portions of the
Indian territory were under Chinese occupation. “Which portions of the Indian territory have the Chinese occupied? What is their location? What is the government’s thinking and strategy to deal with this situation?” she asked. The Congress president saluted the slain soldiers and said, “The sacrifice of 20 Indian soldiers on the LAC has shaken the very soul of India. I salute them and pay my tributes from the depths of my heart. I also pray that god grants their families the strength to brave this loss.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come out of “hiding” and share the truth of the India-China face-off, saying the entire country is standing behind him. Questioning the prime minister’s silence on the fierce clash between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh, he said the country needs to know what has happened and why Modi is silent. “Why is the Prime Minister silent. Where are you hiding? You should come out, the whole country is standing behind you together. Come out and tell the truth to the country, don’t be afraid,” Gandhi told the prime minister in a video message. The former Congress chief, in his message shared on his Twitter account, also saluted the brave martyrs of the country.
Rahul Gandhi (Video grab)
He said that two days ago, 20 Indian soldiers were martyred and snatched away from their families and China has snatched India’s land and usurped it. “Why is the PM silent? Why is he hiding? Enough is enough. We need to know what has happened,” Gandhi earlier said on Twitter. “How dare China kill our soldiers? How dare they take our land?” he said. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi
Vadra also asked Prime Minister Modi to show up, saying it is time to stand up to China as it is threatening India’s sovereignty. “Our land, our sovereignty is being threatened, our soldiers and officers have been martyred, are we just going to remain silent? “India deserves the truth. It deserves a leadership that is willing to do anything before allowing its land to be taken. Show up Narender Modi ji, it’s time to stand up to China,” she said in a tweet. Government sources said the Chinese side too suffered “proportionate casualties” but chose not to speculate on the number. It is the biggest confrontation between the two militaries after their 1967 clashes in Nathu La when India lost around 80 soldiers, while over 300 Chinese army personnel were killed in the confrontation.
5 India will be indebted to soldiers for their supreme sacrifice: Shah NEW DELHI, JUN 17 (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said India will always remain indebted to its soldiers who lost their lives in Ladakh’s Galwan protecting the country’s territory, and their bravery reflects the country’s commitment towards the motherland. In a series of tweets, Shah said the pain of losing the brave soldiers at Ladakh’s Galwan cannot be put in words. “India will always remain indebted for their supreme sacrifice. Entire nation and Modi government stands firmly with their families in this hour of grief. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured,” he said. The home minister said the nation salutes the immortal heroes who sacrificed their lives to keep Indian territory safe and secure. “Their bravery reflects India’s commitment to-
wards her land,” he said, adding, “I bow to the families who have blessed Indian Army with such great heroes”. Twenty Indian soldiers, including a colonel, were killed on Monday evening in a clash with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the sacrifice of the Indian soldiers will not go in vain. He also said that India wants peace but is capable of giving a befitting reply, if instigated. For us, the unity and sovereignty of the country is most important, Modi said in his opening remarks on day two of the virtual conference with chief ministers on coronavirus. The opposition had been questioning the government’s “silence” on the biggest ever military confrontation between the two armies in over five decades.
Galwan Valley incident will have serious Ladakh face-off: PM convenes Delhi Police detain Army veterans impact on bilateral ties: India to China all-party meeting on Friday protesting outside Chinese Embassy resulting violence and casualties,” the MEA said giving details of the conversation. Jaishankar conveyed that it reflected an intent to change the facts on ground in violation of all the agreements to not change the status quo. “The External Affairs Minister underlined that this unprecedented development will have a serious impact on the bilateral relationship. The need of the hour was for the Chinese side to reassess its actions and take corrective steps,” the MEA said. “The two sides should scrupulously and sincerely implement the understanding that was reached by the senior commanders on June 6,” it said. “Troops of both sides should also abide by the bilateral agreements and protocols. They should strictly respect and observe the Line of Actual Control and should not take any unilateral action to alter it,” the MEA said. In the talks, it was agreed that the overall situation would be handled in a responsible manner, and both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of June 6 sincerely, the MEA said.
Narendra Modi (File)
NEW DELHI, JUN 17 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has convened an all-party virtual meet on Friday to discuss the situation along the India-China border, his office said on Wednesday. The meeting comes against the backdrop of demands by the opposition seeking details of the violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh which left 20 Indian Army personnel dead. “In order to discuss the situation in the India-China border areas, Prime Minister @narendramodi has called for an all-party meeting at 5 PM on 19th June. Presidents of various political parties would take part in this virtual meeting,” the PMO tweeted. Twenty Indian soldiers
including a colonel, were killed on Monday evening in a clash with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh Galwan valley. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked the prime minister to share the truth of the IndiaChina face-off, saying the entire country is standing behind him. Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that Indian soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army. “The Nation will never forget their bravery and sacrifice. My heart goes out to the families of the fallen soldiers ...We are proud of the bravery and courage of India’s bravehearts,” he wrote on Twitter.
Don’t shoot the messenger: SC on harassment of docs
Delhi Health Min and AAP MLA test COVID positive
S Jaishankar (File)
NEW DELHI, JUN 17 (PTI): In a strong message, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the unprecedented incident in Galwan Valley will have a serious impact on the bilateral relationship and asked China to take corrective steps. Jaishankar and Wang held a telephonic conversation in the wake of Monday night’s violent clash between the two armies in Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian Army personnel including a Colonel were killed. “The external affairs minister conveyed the protest of the government of India in the strongest terms on the violent face-off in
NEW DELHI, JUN 17 (AGENCIES): The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Delhi government over suspension of healthcare workers for exposing facts related to the condition in hospitals while saying that doctors and nurses were “corona warriors” and needed to be protected. The remarks were made by a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul, and MR Shah while hearing a suo motu cognisance
Galwan Valley on June 15,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. It said Jaishankar referred to a meeting between senior military commanders of the two sides on June 6 where an agreement was reached on de-escalation and disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Jaishankar conveyed to Wang that while there was some progress on the situation, the Chinese side sought to erect a structure in Galwan valley on the Indian side of the LAC. “While this became a source of dispute, the Chinese side took pre-meditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the
matter related to the treatment of Covid-19 patients and dignified handling of bodies in government hospitals. “Stop harassing doctors and registering FIRs. You can’t suppress the truth. Why did you suspend a doctor who made a video of the pathetic conditions of one of your hospitals?” the Supreme Court said and asked the Delhi government to file an affidavit in the case. The bench posted the hearing for Friday.
The Delhi government told the SC that it was committed to taking care of patients, managing of bodies and raising the number of Covid-19 tests. “Don’t shoot the messenger, don’t threaten doctors and health workers, support them,” the Supreme Court said. T h e d e ve l o p m e n t comes after the bench described the situation in the national capital as “deplorable and pathetic” in the last hearing on Friday.
The court also had issued notice to LNJP hospital, the largest hospital run by the Delhi government, and one of the dedicated Covid-19 treatment facilities in the national capital. Chief Justice of India S A Bobde taken suo motu cognizance of media reports on “horrific scenes” at the hospital, apathy in treatment, and the handling of dead bodies. “We are concerned with the living too… Please see the deplorable conditions of people in hospitals. Dead bodies are lying in the ward,” Justice Kaul said. The bench was informed by the Delhi government counsel that after the recent visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to LNJP Hospital, things were being improved. In another hearing earlier in the day, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to issue directions to states for payment of salaries and providing necessary quarantine facilities to doctors and healthcare workers engaged in treating Covid19 patients. Coronavirus deaths in Delhi was up by 437, taking its toll to 1,837 on Wednesday with 44,688 cases, according to the Health Ministry data.
Satyendar Jain
NEW DELHI, JUN 17 (PTI): Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, a day after he was admitted to a hospital here following high fever, a senior official said. The 55-year-old minister was brought to the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) in the early hours of Tuesday and was administered a test for the novel coronavirus infection that morning, for which he tested negative. AAP MLA and national spokesperson Atishi has also tested positive for Covid-19, her party colleagues said on Wednesday. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to wish her speedy recovery. She is presently under home quarantine.
Police personnel detain an ex-armyman during a stir against the killing of 20 Indian soldiers by Chinese troop at Galwan valley near Chinese embassy in New Delhi. (PTI)
NEW DELHI, JUN 17 (IANS): The Delhi Police on Wednesday detained Army veterans and Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) members, who were protesting outside the Chinese Embassy here against the killing of 20 Indian Army soldiers in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night by the Chinese People’’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops. The protest outside the Chinese Embassy was supposed to be a represen-
tation by the Martyrs Welfare Foundation. However, members of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch also joined in later. SJM members initially protested at the Teen Murti Police station and then moved towards the embassy to protest. The members could be seen holding posters with a black cross on ‘’Made in China’’ written on them. Earlier on Wednesday, Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh extended his condolences to the families of the martyred soldiers who laid down their lives for the country in the violent faceoff that broke out on Monday night. “The loss of soldiers in Galwan is deeply disturbing and painful. Our soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army,” Singh tweeted.
Killing of Indian soldiers in Galwan deeply disturbing, painful: Rajnath
NEW DELHI, JUN 17 (PTI): The loss of soldiers in Galwan Valley is deeply disturbing and painful, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday, paying glowing tributes to the Army personnel who were killed in a violent clash with the Chinese Army. The Indian Army on Tuesday said 20 Army personnel, including a Colonel, were killed in the clash on Monday night, in the biggest ever military confrontation between the two armies in over five decades. In a series of tweets, Singh said Indian soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army. “The Nation will never forget their bravery and sacrifice. My heart goes out to the families of the fallen soldiers. The nation stands shoulder to shoulder with them in this difficult hour. We are proud of the bravery and courage of India’s bravehearts,” he said. Monday’s clash was the biggest confrontation between the two militaries after their 1967 clashes in Nathu La when India lost around 80 soldiers while over 300 Chinese Army
personnel were killed in the confrontation. The EAM on Tuesday said the violent face-off between armies of India and China in eastern Ladakh was the result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo in the region. The ministry said both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided had the agreement
arrived earlier at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side. Indian and Chinese armies are engaged in standoff in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh. A sizeable number of Chinese Army personnel even transgressed into the Indian side of the de-facto border in several areas.
