The Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, reached Leh today as a part of the two day visit to Ladakh. The purpose of the visit was to conduct a comprehensive review of security arrangements in the region considering the ongoing tension at the border with China.
Leaving for Leh on a two day visit to Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir. I shall be visiting the forward areas to review the situation at the borders and also interact with the Armed Forces personnel deployed in the region. Looking forward to it.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 17, 2020
While at Leh, the Defence Minster interacted with the troops who have been deployed in the region. Singh urged that the talks between both countries would solve the dispute along the border. However, he also cautioned that the extent of the success of these talks “cannot be guaranteed”. “If a solution is found through talks, nothing can be better”, he added.
In his address, he also assured that “not an inch of our (India’s) land can be taken by any power in the world”.
This statement by the defence minister is delivered a few days after China refused to pull back its troops from the Finger 4 region in Pangong Tso. China had shown its reluctance in the 14-hour long high level commander talks between both the nations. The much sough disengagement along the Indo-China border at the east of Ladakh had already begun when China refused to negotiate for this particular area.
“India is the only country in the world that has given a message of peace to the world. We have never attacked a nation and have never staked claim to a country’s land”, claimed Rajnath Singh in his address to the army personnel.
The visit by the defence minister was earlier scheduled on July 3 but was deferred. Singh’s two day visit comes two weeks after PM Modi’s surprise visit to Ladakh where he interacted addressed the army personnel too.
The Indian army personnel carried out various military exercises in the honor of the Defence Minister of India.
#WATCH Indian Army T-90 tanks and BMP infantry combat vehicles carry out exercise at Stakna, Leh in presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General MM Naravane. pic.twitter.com/Psc3CJOWok
— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2020
“We are proud of our army. I feel proud as I stand among our jawans. Our jawans have laid their lives for the country”, said Singh while acknowledging the martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the June 15 standoff with China.
The escalation along the Indo-China border began on June 15 in Ladakh and currently both countries are in the middle of the disengagement process.
