Country angry at steps taken by China at LAC, primacy given to border infrastructure: PM Modi

Noting that the entire country is hurt and angry at the steps taken by China at LAC, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that "neither is anyone inside our territory nor is any of our post captured" and 20 brave soldiers made the supreme sacrifice for the nation during a violent clash with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley and also taught a lesson to those "who had dared to look towards our motherland".

Addressing an all-party meeting convened by him to discuss the situation in India-China border areas, the Prime Minister said that India has also conveyed its position clearly to Beijing through diplomatic means and that the Army has been given the freedom to take necessary steps for protecting the territorial integrity of the country.

"Neither is anyone inside our territory nor is any of our post captured," the Prime Minister clarified at the outset of the virtual meeting.

Noting that the "country today has such capability that no one can even dare look towards an inch of our land", he said Indian forces today are capable of moving together across sectors.

He said that 20 brave soldiers made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in Ladakh but "also taught a lesson to those who had dared to look towards our motherland".

"The nation will forever remember their valour and sacrifice," he said.

According to a PMO release, the Prime Minister said that the entire country is hurt and angry at the steps taken by China at Line of Actual Control (LAC).

He said that through recently developed infrastructure, patrolling capacity at LAC has also increased and through this "we are better informed about the developments at LAC and consequently are able to monitor and respond better".

The Prime Minister said that movement of those "which used to take place without any disruption earlier is now checked by our jawans, which at times leads to build-up of tension".

He noted that through better infrastructure, the supply of material and essentials to soldiers in the difficult terrain has become comparatively easier.

He assured the leaders that the armed forces are leaving no stone unturned to protect the country.

"Be it deployment, action or counteraction, through land, sea or air, our forces are taking the necessary steps to protect the country," he said.

Noting that India wants peace and friendship, he said "upholding sovereignty is foremost".

He emphasized the commitment of the government to welfare of the nation and its citizens and said that be it in trade, connectivity or counter-terrorism, the government has always stood up to outside pressure.

Modi assured that all steps necessary for national security and construction of necessary infrastructure will continue to be taken at a fast pace.

He reassured the leaders about the capability of the armed forces "to defend our borders and that they have been given a free hand to take all necessary steps".

He highlighted that the government has given primacy to the development of border area infrastructure to make the borders more secure.

"Provision has also been made for fighter planes, modern helicopters, missile defence systems and other such needs of our forces," he said.

He underscored that today "all of us stand united with the soldiers defending our borders and repose full faith in their courage and bravery".

The Prime Minister said that through the all-party meeting, he wants to assure the families of the martyrs that the entire country stands with them.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the nation will never forget the sacrifice of the martyrs.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar gave an overview of agreements between India and China on border management, informed about the directions given by the Prime Minister in 2014 to give the highest priority to the development of infrastructure in border areas in the regions identified and approved by the Cabinet in 1999 and also shared details of recent developments.

The leaders of the political parties hailed the bravery displayed by the armed forces in Ladakh.

The release said they reposed faith in the leadership of the Prime Minister in this hour of need and expressed commitment to stand united with the government.

They also shared their thoughts and ideas on dealing with the situation.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee said that her party stands strongly in solidarity with the government.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that there should be no difference amongst the leaders and parties should not allow any disunity which can be exploited by other nations.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that the leaders are still in the dark about the details and questioned the government about intelligence reports.

LJP leader Chirag Paswan said that the country feels safe under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray lauded the Prime Minister and said that the entire country is one and with the Prime Minister.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar stressed that issues of whether soldiers carried arms or not are decided by international agreements and the parties need to respect sensitivities involved in such matters.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the Prime Minister has been working on infrastructure in the northeast and that must go on.

BSP leader Mayawati said that this is not the time for politics and she firmly stands with the Prime Minister on whatever decisions he takes.

DMK leader MK Stalin welcomed the recent statement by the Prime Minister on the issue.

( With inputs from ANI )