NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with three Service Chiefs (Army, Navy and Air Force) and the Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat on Wednesday, sources said.
He also spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the current India-China border situation, they added.
The meeting comes a day after it was confirmed that 20 Indian Army personnel were martyred in a violent clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan valley area in Eastern Ladakh on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Singh expressed grief over the death of Indian soldiers and tweeted, “The loss of soldiers in Galwan is deeply disturbing and painful. Our soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.”
“The Nation will never forget their bravery and sacrifice. My heart goes out to the families of the fallen soldiers. The nation stands shoulder to shoulder with them in this difficult hour. We are proud of the bravery and courage of India’s breavehearts,” he said in another tweet.
In order to discuss the situation in the India-China border areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi 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 Prime Minister’s office said on Wednesday.
The violent face-off happened on late evening and the night of June 15 in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to “unilaterally change” the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on June 16.
