Don't be afraid, come out of hiding and tell truth to nation: Rahul to PM on Ladakh face off

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the tense military face-off in Ladakh's Galwan Valley, questioning why the latter was "silent" and "hiding". At least 20 Indian soldiers were martyred in the fierce clash with Chinese troops.

New Delhi:Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the military face-off in Galwan where at least 20 Indian soldiers were martyred, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned why the PM was silent on the development.

Taking to Twitter, Rahul wrote, "Why is the PM silent? Why is he hiding? Enough is enough. We need to know what has happened."

"How dare China kill our soldiers? How dare they take our land?" he added.

Twenty Indian Army personnel including a colonel were killed in a fierce clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff in the region.'

The former Congress chief, in his message shared on his Twitter account, also saluted the brave martyrs of the country.

He said that two days ago, 20 Indian soldiers were martyred and snatched away from their families and China has snatched India's land and usurped it.

"Why is the PM silent? Why is he hiding? Enough is enough. We need to know what has happened," Gandhi earlier said on Twitter.

"How dare China kill our soldiers? How dare they take our land?" he said.

Earlier yesterday, the Army initially said that an officer and two soldiers were killed. But in a late evening statement it revised the figure to 20 saying 17 others who "were critically injured in the line of duty and exposed to sub-zero temperatures at the standoff location succumbed to their injuries."

However media reports quoting government sources said that the Chinese side too suffered "proportionate casualties."

Read:Indian, Chinese troops disengage in Galwan valley

It was the biggest confrontation between the two militaries after their 1967 clashes in Nathu La when India lost around 80 soldiers while over 300 Chinese army personnel were killed in the confrontation. The casualties take both sides into uncharted territory at a time when the government’s attention is focused on fighting the COVID-19 crisis that appears to be ballooning by the day.

"Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area where they had earlier clashed on the night of 15/16 June 2020," the Army statement said.

It did not say how the casualties occurred and did not mention any firefight between the two sides.

Read:Ladakh faceoff: Alert in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur border districts

Reports quoting Indian military sources said no firearms were used in the clashes and that most of the injuries were sustained following stone-pelting and use of rods by the Chinese side.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly held a high level meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah in the evening where he carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh where the two armies have been in a standoff for over five weeks.

(With inputs from agencies)