Indian Army given adequate power to take appropriate action, says PM Modi on China clashes

New Delhi: After chairing the all-party meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (June 19) addressed the nation and reiterated India’s resolve to protect every inch of its territory. 

He said that the Indian Army has been given adequate power to take appropriate action on the border, adding that "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," he said. He also thanked all the political parties for their positive support at this hour. 

At the all-party meeting via video conferencing to discuss the situation in India-China border areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored that today all of us stand united with the soldiers defending our borders and repose full faith in their courage and bravery, said an official statement. 

He further said that through the All Party Meeting, he wants to assure the families of the martyrs that the entire country stands with them.

At the outset, Prime Minister clarified that neither is anyone inside our territory nor is any of our post captured. He said that twenty of our brave soldiers made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in Ladakh but also taught a lesson to those who had dared to look towards our motherland. The nation will forever remember their valour and sacrifice.

PM Modi said that the entire country is hurt and angry at the steps taken by China at LAC. He assured the leaders that our armed forces are leaving no stone unturned to protect the country.  Be it deployment, action or counteraction, through land, sea or air, our forces are taking the necessary steps to protect the country. He emphasized that the country today has such capability that no one can even dare look towards an inch of our land. 

He said that today, Indian forces are capable of moving together across sectors. While on the one hand, the army has been given the freedom to take necessary steps, India has also conveyed its position clearly to China through diplomatic means. 

Ramping up border infrastructure

Prime Minister underscored that India wants peace and friendship, but upholding sovereignty is foremost. He highlighted that the government has given primacy to the development of border area infrastructure to make our borders more secure. Provision has also been made for fighter planes, modern helicopters, missile defence systems and other such needs of our forces. 

Through the recently developed infrastructure, patrolling capacity at LAC has also increased, he said, adding that through this, we are better informed about the developments at LAC and consequently are able to monitor and respond better. The movement of those which used to take place without any disruption earlier is now checked by our jawans, which at times leads to the build-up of tension. He noted that through better infrastructure, the supply of material, and essentials to jawans in the difficult terrain has become comparatively easier. 

Prime Minister emphasized the commitment of the government to the welfare of the nation and its citizens and said that be it in trade, connectivity or counter-terrorism, the government has always stood up to outside pressure. He assured that all steps necessary for national security and construction of necessary infrastructure will continue to be taken at a fast pace. He reassured the leaders about the capability of the armed forces to defend our borders and that they have been given a free hand to take all necessary steps. 

At the outset, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the nation will never forget the sacrifice of the martyrs. 

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also gave an overview of agreements between India and China on border management, informed about the directions given by the Prime Minister in 2014 to give the highest priority to the development of infrastructure in border areas in the regions identified and approved by the Cabinet in 1999, and also shared details of recent developments.