India-China Faceoff: Mamata condoles death of jawans, salutes their valour

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her grief over the martyrdom of three Indian Army jawans at Ladakh's Galwan Valley in a violent face-off with China. The soldiers, including a Commanding Officer, were martyred when a violent faceoff took place Monday night when the de-escalation process was underway in the Valley. 

Taking to Twitter, Mamata Banerjee said she saluted the valour of the jawans and offered condolences to their families.

Sources revealed that the Indian colonel was attacked by Chinese Army personnel with iron rods without any provocation leading to a strong retaliation from the Indian side. This physical hand-to-hand combat went on for many hours on Monday, sources said. On Tuesday morning, senior commanders took stock of the situation and the talks started at about 7 am.

READ | India-China Faceoff: Rahul Gandhi Mourns Soldiers' Martyrdom,expresses Solidarity With Kin

China's unilateral action

India has alleged that China "unilaterally attempted to change the status quo" at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley which led to the violent face-off between the two armies.

In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Anurag Srivastava, said, "On the late-evening and night of 15th June, 2020 a violent face-off happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo there. Both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided had the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side."

"Given its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC. We expect the same of the Chinese side," the statement further said.

READ | China Unilaterally Attempted To Change Status Quo: MEA On 'violent' LAC Standoff

China departed from consensus

Srivastava also revealed that China departed from the consensus to respect the LAC in the Galwan Valley and contended that the faceoff had taken place on the late evening and night of June 15, leading to casualties on both sides. Maintaining that India was convinced of resolving the differences through dialogue, he reiterated the country's commitment to ensuring India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

READ | India-China Standoff: MEA Issues Strong Statement, Calls For 'resolution Through Dialogue'

READ | Capt Amarinder Singh Calls For Strong Indian Response To Repeated Incursions By China