Former PM Manmohan Singh breaks silence on India-China clash; seeks unity as Rahul attacks

Breaking his silence on the Galwan Valley clash where 20 soldiers of the Indian Army lost their lives battling the Chinese along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has issued a statement. 

'We must stand together as a nation'

Dr Manmohan Singh said, "We call upon the Prime Minister and the government to rise to the occasion, to ensure justice for Col. B. Santosh Babu and our Jawans who have made ultimate sacrifice and resolutely defended our territorial integrity. To do any less would be a historic betrayal of the people’s faith."

The former PM said that China is brazenly and illegally seeking to claim parts of Indian territory such as the Galwan Vally and the Pangong Tso by committing multiple incursions between April 2020 till date. He added that India cannot be cowed down by threats and intimidation nor permit a compromise with our territorial integrity. 

'PM must always be mindful of the implications...'

"The Prime Minister cannot allow them to use his words as a vindication of their position and must ensure all organs of the Government work together to tackle this crisis and prevent it from escalating further. This is a moment where we must stand together as a nation and be united in our response to this brazen threat," Dr Singh said. 

Advising the government, Manmohan Singh said, "We remind the Government that disinformation is no substitute for diplomacy to decisive leadership. The truth cannot be suppressed by having pliant allies spout comforting but false statements. The Prime Minister must always be mindful of the implications of his words and declarations on our Nation's security as also strategic and territorial interests." The former Prime Minister's statement comes in a manner that indicates that the Congress party is speaking in multiple voices, with Manmohan Singh calling for unity even as Rahul Gandhi is accused of peddling mistruths and low jibes.

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Rahul's swipe at PM Modi over LAC face-off

A day after accusing the Prime Minister of having "surrendered" Indian territory to Chinese aggression, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at him on Sunday, saying "Narendra Modi is actually Surender Modi". Rahul took the dig at the Prime Minister in a tweet, wherein he tagged an article in a foreign publication with the headline -- "India's appeasement policy toward China unravels".

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The Congress leader had accused PM Modi on Saturday of having "surrendered" Indian territory to Chinese aggression, after the latter's remarks made at an all-party meeting that neither is anyone inside India's territory nor has anyone captured its posts. "The PM has surrendered Indian territory to Chinese aggression. If the land was Chinese: Why were our soldiers killed? Where were they killed," he had asked on Twitter, highlighting the Prime Minister's comments.

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A statement issued by the government after Friday's all-party meeting called by the Prime Minister to discuss the situation at the Sino-India border in Ladakh said, "At the outset, the Prime Minister clarified that neither is anyone inside our territory nor is any of our posts captured." The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said attempts are being made to give a "mischievous interpretation" to Modi's remarks made at the all-party meet.

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Update: In a move that reconciles his own line of attack with Manmohan Singh's, Rahul Gandhi has tweeted the following -

(With PTI inputs)