India-China clash: PM Modi calls for all-party meeting on Friday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an all-party meeting on 19 June in order to discuss the situation in the India-China border areas.

The official handle of the Office of Prime Minister tweeted: “In order to discuss the situation in the India-China border areas, Prime Minister @narendramodi has called for an all-party meeting at 5 PM on 19th June. Presidents of various political parties would take part in this virtual meeting.”

On Monday, twenty Indian army personnel were killed in the deadliest clash in the last 45 years between India and China in eastern Ladakh. After this, China has claimed that “sovereignty of the Galwan Valley region has always belonged” to her.

In a statement, the spokesman of the Western Theater, Zhang Shuili, accused the India army of “[violating] its commitment and crossed the actual control line again [on the evening of 15 June]. Illegal activities, deliberately launched provocative attacks, triggered fierce physical conflict between the two sides, resulting in casualties.”

The statement sent out by India’s Ministry of External Affairs’ spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Tuesday claimed: “India and China have been discussing through military and diplomatic channels the de-escalation of the situation in the border area in Eastern Ladakh.”

On Tuesday, the Indian army also issued a statement, claiming, “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 added that it “is firmly committed to protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation.”

KW