PM Modi chairs at all-party meet on Galwan Vlley clash, leaders display united front

Leaders of major political parties on Friday put across their views on the issue of border tension with China and the death of 20 Indian Army soldiers. 

The government has invited leaders of 20 major political parties to discuss the issue. The virtual meeting was called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, a day after the death of 20 jawans in a violent clash with Chinese troops in Galwana Valley in eastern Ladakh. 

The meeting began with participants paying tributes to the martyred Indian soldiers. It was followed by a presentation from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke on the stand-off at the meeting. 

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, TRS leader K Chandrashekhar Rao, JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar, DMK's MK Stalin, YSR Congress Party's YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray were among those who attended the meeting.

BJP president JP Nadda, CPI's D Raja, CPIM's Sitaram Yechury, BJP's Pinaki Mishra, TMC's Mamata Banerjee, Akali Dal's Sukhbir Badal, LJP's Chirag Paswan, Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav, BSP's Mayawati, RPI's Ramdas Athawale, NPP's Conrad Sangama, SKM's Prem Singh Tamang and MNF's Zoramthanga. 

Highlights of the discussion

• All party meeting with PM over India-China border issues: CPI's D Raja said "we need to resist US efforts to drag us into their alliance" and CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechuri stressed on the principles of Panchsheel. 
• All party meeting with PM over India-China border issues: Congress President Sonia Gandhi said, "all party meeting should have happened much earlier. Even at this late stage we are in the dark. Congress has specific questions..." 
• "What date did Chinese troops intrude? When did the Govt find out about the transgressions? Does govt not get satellite pics?Did intelligence not report about unusual activity?": Sonia Gandhi
• Sonia Gandhi at all party meet with PM - "Nation needs assurance that status quo ante restored. What is the current status of Mountain strike corps? Opposition parties should be briefed regularly" 
• NCP Chief and Former Defence Minister Sharad Pawar said that issues of whether soldiers carried arms or not are decided by international agreements and we need to respect such sensitive matters
• Sikkim Krantikari Morcha chief and Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said during meet that "we have full faith in the PM. In the past too, when it comes to national security, PM has taken landmark decisions".
• TRS Chief and Telangana CM KCR said that PM's clarity on Kashmir has angered China. PM's emphasis on Kashmir's development has also angered China. He stressed that PM's call of Atmanirbhar Bharat has rattled China
• Biju Janta Dal's Pinaki Misra representing his party said, "We stand with the Government fully and unconditionally".
• DMK's MK Stalin said "We are united when it comes to patriotism." He also welcomed the recent statements by the PM on China issue. 
• NPP's Conrad Sangma said "Infrastructure work along the border should not stop. China sponsored activities in Myanmar&Bangladesh is worrying. PM has been working on North East infra and it must go on." 
• TMC leader and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee at all- party meeting: All-party meeting is a good message for the nation. Shows that we are united behind our Jawans. TMC strongly in solidarity with the government 
• TMC leader Mamata Banerjee at all-party meeting: Don’t let China enter telecom, railway and aviation sectors. We will face some problems but we won’t allow the Chinese to enter
• 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 solidly with the Govt: Mamata
• JDU Chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar at all-party meet with PM Modi: There is nationwide anger against China. There should be no differences among us. We are together.​

PM Modi responds

• 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.
• 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
• 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
• The areas which were not really monitored earlier, even there our jawans are now able to monitor and respond well