China should not test India's resolve: Ashwani Kumar

Former Union Minister and Congress leader Ashwani Kumar on Tuesday said that the violent face-off between troops of India and China is a matter of "serious concern" for the country and said the neighbouring country should not test India's resolve.

Former Union Minister and Congress leader Ashw Kumar on Tuesday said that the violent face-off between troops of India and China is a matter of "serious concern" for the country and said the neighbouring country should not test India's resolve.

"India-China face-off at Ladakh is a matter of serious concern for the country. The tragic martyrdom of soldiers of the Indian Army in aggression by the Chinese troops in Ladakh is testing the nation's resolve and patience. It is necessary for us to take a strategic view of the situation at border and work for de-escalation of hostilities," he said.

Kumar said India and China must move towards for early secession of hostility and the interest of regional and world peace.

"China must always understand that while India seeks peace it's resolve should not be tested. Today as never before we need to have a strategic response to China," he said.

India Army said in a statement in the evening that 20 soldiers were killed in the face-off including 17 who were critically injured at the stand-off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain. The Army had said earlier in the day that one officer and two soldiers lost their lives in the stand-off.

Indian intercepts revealed that Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the face-off, sources confirmed to .

They Army also said that Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area in Ladakh where they had earlier clashed on the night of June 15 and 16.

India said that the violent face-off happened on late evening and night of June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that both sides suffered casualties in the violent face-off and the Chinese side departed from the consensus to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held two review meetings over developments in Eastern Ladakh during the day.

( With inputs from ANI )