Former President Pranab Mukherjee who also served as India’s defence minister during UPA-1 has said that the violent clash with Chinese military at Galwan Valley in Ladakh is of grave concern not only for India’s national strategic interests but will also have “far reaching” global geo-political ramifications.
The senior Congress leader also said that a bi-partisan consensus among the political class was needed to address the bruised conscience of the nation. He said the onus of achieving that consensus mostly lied with the government of India.
“I would like to underline that this particular situation at the Indo-Chinese line of control (line of actual control) in Ladakh is of grave concern for not only our national strategic interests but also have far reaching global geo-political ramifications,” Mukherjee’s statement read.
Mukherje, who also served as India’s defence minister between May 22, 2004 and October 26, 2006, said that it was his “considered opinion that no service in the cause of Mother India could be greater than the service rendered by the brave hearts, who guard our sovereignty and integrity”.
Mukherjee’s statement comes on a day when Congress President Sonia Gandhi sought to know from the central government, the details of the clashes between Indian and Chinese Army in the Galwan Valley on Monday that led to the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers.
{{/usCountry}}Mukherjee’s statement comes on a day when Congress President Sonia Gandhi sought to know from the central government, the details of the clashes between Indian and Chinese Army in the Galwan Valley on Monday that led to the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers.
{{/usCountry}}“The PM should tell the nation how the Chinese occupied Indian territory, why 20 brave soldiers were martyred,” she said in Hindi during a live address. She also added that her party stands behind the government.
Also Read: ‘PM should tell how Chinese occupied Indian territory’: Sonia Gandhi on Ladakh face-off
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an all-party-meet on Friday to discuss the latest incident which has been described as an outcome of Chinese attempts to change the status quo of the LAC despite consensus between the two sides to refrain from such attempts.
Also Read: PM Modi on the situation in India-China border areas: Complete statement
Mukherjee said the government of India needs to take various stakeholders including the armed forces on board.
“The conscience of the nation has been bruised and needs to be addressed satisfactorily by the entire political class through a bipartisan consensus- the onus of achieving which lies mostly on the Government of India, by taking various stakeholders, including the Armed forces on board. It is for the Government of the Day to ensure that nothing but out National Interests are kept supreme,” he said.