Ladakh Face-off: PM Convenes All-party Meeting On Friday

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has convened an all-party virtual meet on June 19 to discuss the situation on the India-China border, his office said on Wednesday.

Twenty Indian Army personnel including a colonel were killed in the 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 between the two.

"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," the PMO 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.

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 17, 2020

According to reports, the incident involved no shooting but "violent hand-to-hand scuffles". The soldiers threw punches and stones at each other and the Chinese troops allegedly used rods and nail-studded clubs during the fight that lasted for hours until midnight on Monday.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched an attack on PM Modi in a tweet  questioning why he hadn't spoken on the  incident till now. "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?" Rahul Gandhi had tweeted. He also posted a video paying tribute to the Indian soldiers who died in the line of duty and asked PM Modi to "come out" and "tell the truth".

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?

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 17, 2020

देश के वीर शहीदों को मेरा सलाम।https://t.co/hikmIWBADa

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 17, 2020

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra tweeted,"Incredible how BJP won 2019 by tom-tomming 'surgical strikes' of which we never saw any actual proof and now that 20 real faces of our dead soldiers stare at us, the PM is silent,"  (Inputs From PTI)