Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoes brother Rahul's 'no weapons' claim, slams Centre's intent

Echoing her brother's claim, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday alleged that the soldiers martyred in the faceoff at the LAC did not carry weapons. She questioned why the Centre had kept the people in the dark about this. She went on to slam the intention behind this. On Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had junked former Congress president Rahul Gandhi's claim, making it clear that Army personnel always carry arms while leaving their post. Maintaining that the soldiers were armed in Galwan on June 15, the EAM stated that the Army had followed the long-standing practice of not using firearms during faceoffs. 

Read: China Passes Draft Of Controversial National Security Bill On Hong Kong Despite Backlash

India-China faceoff

20 Indian Army soldiers including a Commanding Officer were martyred when a violent faceoff took place on Monday night when the de-escalation process was underway in the Galwan Valley. As per the Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese newspaper Global Times, the Chinese side also suffered casualties during the physical clash. Sources revealed that an 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 revealed. Speaking at the meeting with Chief Ministers on Wednesday, PM Modi issued a strong statement on the martyrdom of 20 Indian Army personnel. Stressing that bravery was a part of Indian tradition, the PM assured the people of the country that the sacrifices of the soldiers would not go in vain. On Thursday, the Indian Army revealed that a total of 76 personnel had been injured out of which 18 admitted to the Leh hospital can resume duty in about 15 days. As per the Army, the remaining 58 soldiers should be back on duty within a week's time.

Read: China Releases COVID-19 Genome Sequencing Data Amid Resurgence Of Outbreak In Beijing

Owaisi demands review committee

Earlier in the day, AIMIM chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi voicing his concerns on the present situation. Owaisi stressed that the best way to avenge the martyrdom of Indian soldiers was to recover the Indian territory in Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso lake allegedly occupied by China. He also urged the Centre to appoint an independent review committee to look into the sequence of events leading to the loss of Indian lives and territory. According to the AIMIM chief, the Centre must publish the committee's findings in a whitepaper and make it accessible to the public.

Read: China Confirms Indian Army's Stance, Says 'No Indian Personnel Captured' In Galwan Clashes