Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday cautioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be “mindful” of the implications his words will have on the country’s security. Speaking for the first time after the India-China face-off in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, Dr Singh said: “The Prime Minister must always be mindful of the implications of his words”, an apparent reference to the controversy over his comments at an allparty meeting held on Friday.
Lauding the efforts of the Indian Army, the former PM has demanded justice for Col B. Santosh Babu and other jawans, who were martyred during defending territorial integrity of the country. “To do any less would be a historic betrayal of the people’s faith,” he said.
In a statement, Singh also urged all to be united to prevent the situation from further escalating. Talking about the clashes in the Indian territory, he said, “China was brazenly and illegally seeking to claim parts of our territory such as the Galwan Valley and the Pangong Tso Lake by committing multiple incursions since April. We cannot and will not be cowed down by their threats and intimidation. The Prime Minister cannot allow them to use his words as a vindication of their position and must ensure that all organs of the government work together to tackle this crisis and prevent it from escalating further.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been mounting social media attack on the Modi government, immediately tagged Dr. Singh’s statement, and suggested that the PM should act on it.