Ready for all eventualities, 130 crore Indians are behind armed forces: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Tuesday said that mutual respect and abidance to agreements that govern the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are a must for maintaining peace between India and China. Delivering a statement on the ongoing standoff between India and China along the LAC, Singh said that China has disregarded the mutual agreements governing the LAC. While Indian Army has been respecting the agreements, China has been carrying out massive build-up along the LAC, Singh said in a statement in the Lok Sabha.

“China attempted to carry out transgressions at many places along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)… India and China border issue remains unresolved. Till now, there has been no mutually acceptable solution. China disagrees on the border,” Rajnath Singh said.

Rajnath Singh calls for a resolution to back Indian armed forces Underlining that the Indian troops have successfully thwarted Chinese misadventures along the LAC, Singh assured the House that the Indian Army is capable of guarding the frontiers of the nation along the Chinese borders. He urged the House to pass a resolution that it stands ‘shoulder to shoulder with our armed forces who are guarding our borders to safeguard India’s sovereignty and integrity’.

Stressing that the government has engaged diplomatically, as well as militarily with China to resolve the standoff, Singh said, “We have told China through diplomatic channels that the attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements.”

“Violent conduct of Chinese troops is a violation of all past agreements. Our troops have done counter deployments in the area to safeguard our borders,” he said.

Have no doubt: Singh told Chinese counterpart In his short address that was marked with applause every time he mentioned the valour of India’s armed forces, Singh also touched upon the highlights of his meeting with Chinese counterpart in Moscow, followed by the dialogue between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

“In meeting with Chinese Defence Minister, I clearly stated that while our troops had always taken a responsible approach towards border management, but at the same time there should be no doubt about our determination to protect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Singh said.