India wants peace but upholding sovereignty foremost, says PM Modi at all-party meet

21:02 June 19

PM Modi said that India wants peace and friendship, but upholding sovereignty is foremost. 

He also said, "Whether it is deployment, action, counter-action...air, land or sea, whatever our armed forces have to do to protect our country they will do. 
Today, we possess the capability that no one can eye even one inch of our land. India's armed forces have the capability to move into multiple sectors at one go."

"Till now, those who were never questioned or stopped, now our jawans stop them and warn them at multiple sectors," he added.

He further said, "In the past few years, to protect our borders, we have given importance to infrastructure development to protect our borders. The requirements of our armed forces, be it fighter planes, advanced helicopters, missile defence systems, that too is being given importance. 

21:00 June 19

Addressing the meeting, PM Modi said "Neither have they intruded into our border, nor has any post been taken over by them (China). 20 of our jawans were martyred, but those who dared Bharat Mata, they were taught a lesson. 20 of our jawans were martyred, but those who dared Bharat Mata, they were taught a lesson."

20:58 June 19

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said "Infrastructure work along the border should not be stopped. China sponsored activities in Myanmar and Bangladesh is a worrying factor. The PM has been working on North East infra and it must go on."

20:57 June 19

Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of Shiromani Akali Dal, said "Not the right time to question the handling of the situation. India is with the PM. Let’s give the message to China that we are with the PM."

20:55 June 19

NCP president Sharad Pawar said, "The issues of whether soldiers carried arms or not are decided by international agreements and we need to respect such sensitive matters."

20:54 June 19

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy said, "Thanks to PM, India’s reputation has risen globally. He has built key strategic partnerships across the world. You are our strength, Prime Minister. India has gained envy of many. They (China) are trying to destabilise India."

20:53 June 19

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said, "China is not a democracy. They are a dictatorship. They can do what they feel. We, on the other hand, have to work together. India will win, China will lose. Speak with unity. Think with unity. Work with unity. We are completely with the government. Don’t let China enter telecom, railway and aviation sectors. We will face some problems but we won’t allow the Chinese to enter."

20:51 June 19

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said that goods from China flooding Indian markets have major problems. 

"They're plastic heavy, aren't eco-friendly and they harm the environment. Electronic waste associated with them is high. Chinese products don’t even last long. It 's our duty to be one and support the Centre. Parties should not show any disunity that can be explored by other nations. China’s stand on India is known. India wanted to give respect to China. But what did China do in 1962?"

20:50 June 19

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said, "Shiv Sena India wants peace but that doesn’t mean we are weak. China’s nature is betrayal. India is 'Mazboot' not 'Majboor'. Our government has the ability to - 'Aankhien Nikalkar Haath Me de dena'. We are all one. This is the feeling. We are with you, PM. We are with our forces and their families."

20:48 June 19

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi said that the all-party meeting should have happened much earlier. 

"Even at this late stage, we are in the dark. Congress has specific questions... On what date did the Chinese troops intrude? When did the government find out about the transgressions? Does the government not get satellite pictures? Did the intelligence not report about the unusual activity? The nation needs assurance that the status quo ante is restored. What is the current status of Mountain Strike Corps? The opposition parties should be briefed regularly," she added.

17:08 June 19

As many as 20 parties are attending the meeting in which Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP president JP Nadda are also present. 

16:36 June 19

India wants peace but upholding sovereignty foremost, says PM Modi at all-party meet

New Delhi: The all-party meeting, convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation at the Line of Actual Control, has begun.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of the massive military confrontation between India and China in over five decades that occurred between June 15 and 16.

Presidents of various political parties, including the BJP, Congress, TMC, AIADMK, DMK, TRS, JD(U), BJD, LJP, BSP, SP, Shiv Sena and NCP among others, are taking part in this virtual meeting.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have asked the government to be transparent about the situation on the border and slammed its handling of the issue. 

Modi has asserted that the sacrifice of Indian soldiers will not go in vain. 

It is to be noted that in the worst flare-up on the LAC, 20 Indian Army personnel, including the Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment, were killed in the Galwan valley where disengagement of troops on either side was underway.