All-Party Meeting: PM Modi's meeting on India-China border face-off underway, list of attendees
An all-party meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi began through video conference to talk about the India-China border face-off at Ladakh’s Galwan Valley on Monday in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray are some of the leaders who took part in the all-party meeting.
According to sources, the Centre will attempt a political concurrence on deplomatic and military efforts following the vicious face-off at Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, the worst confrontation with China since 1967 in Nathu La when India lost around 80 soldiers while the number of dead on the Chinese side was over 300. The government is likely to appeal for political unity at this time on India's stand against Chinese aggression.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who called all party heads yesterday to invite them to the meeting, is likely to brief the parties and give details of the incident and India's preparedness. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to do the same on diplomatic efforts to tackle China.
PM Narendra Modi may end the meeting by reiterating his government's determination to safeguard Indian Territory.
The Congress and other opposition parties have been questioning the centre regarding the Face-off with China. Around 76 soldiers were injured as the Chinese Army assaulted them with weapons like spiked clubs, rods wrapped in barbed wire and rocks.
Two parties have expressed opposition for being excluded from the all-party meeting, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and RJD.
However, RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha stated that his party has five MPs and should have been invited. "An all-party meet should mean that all of us should be allowed to put forward our views," Mr Jha told NDTV.
Arvind Kejriwal on the other hand, who has four MPs, said, "AAP is proud that the all party meeting is taking place in New Delhi, where AAP governs, and hopes that the meeting will bring about honourable solutions to the threat posed by China and to the ongoing crisis in Ladakh bringing back Galwan Valley back into India. AAP remains committed to stand up for India in all respects. AAP remains disappointed at its exclusion from the meeting but stands committed to its outcome."
Among other leaders who attended the all-party meeting are, JP Nadda (BJP), Sonia Gandhi (INC), MK Stalin (DMK), Jagan Reddy (YSR-C), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Nitish Kumar (JD-U), D. Raja (CPI), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), Pinaki Mishra (BJD), K Chandrasekhar Rao (TRS), Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Sukhbir Badal (Akali Dal), Chirag Paswan (LJP), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Mayawati (BSP), Ramdas Athawale (RPI), Conrad Sangma (NPP), Prem Singh Tamang (SKD), Pu Zoramthanga (MNF).
