Ban Chinese firms from govt tenders as tribute to slain soldiers: RSS affiliate to Centre

The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) on Tuesday appealed to the Centre to bar Chinese companies from participating in tenders floated by the government and exhorted the people to boycott Chinese products as a tribute to the Army soldiers killed in a fierce clash with troops of China in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh.

SJM co-convener Ashwani Mahajan said it's high time people should shun Chinese products. Mahajan also urged actors, cricketers and other celebrities not to promote Chinese products. The SJM also requested the government to ban Chinese companies from participating in any tender floated by the Indian government and to not procure any Chinese items, he said.

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. On Tuesday morning, senior commanders took stock of the situation and the talks started at about 7 am.

The Indian Army on Tuesday issued an official statement on the violent faceoff that took place on June 15 at the Line of Actual Control. It mentioned that both sides had disengaged at the Galwan area. Moreover, it added that 17 more troops who were critically injured in the line of duty had succumbed to their injuries. This has propelled the number of Indian Army personnel martyred at the LAC to 20. 

(image from PTI)