Mind what your words imply: Singh
BJP hits back as ex-PM says ‘disinformation no substitute for diplomacy’
Accusing China of “brazenly and illegally” seeking to claim parts of Indian territory, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi “must always be mindful of the implications of his words and declarations on the nation’s security, as well as its strategic and territorial interests”. He told the government “disinformation is no substitute for diplomacy or decisive leadership”.
“We, the nation, lost 20 brave soldiers in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh on June 15-16. They laid down their lives in the ultimate act of sacrifice, valour and duty to our country. Our bravehearts defended the motherland till their last breath and for that we owe them and their families our eternal gratitude.
The Prime Minister must always be mindful of the implications of his words and declarations on our nation’s security as also strategic and territorial interests.
— Manmohan Singh, Former PM
However, their sacrifice cannot be allowed to be in vain,” Dr Singh said in a statement. He asserted that the government’s decisions and actions now will have a serious bearing on how future generations perceive “us”.
Hitting back at the former PM, BJP president J.P. Nadda reminded Dr Singh that during his tenure, 600 incursions had taken place into Indian territory
Dr Singh belongs to the same party which helplessly surrendered over 43,000 km of Indian territory to the Chinese... the UPA years saw abject strategic and territorial surrender without a fight.
— J.P. Nadda, BJP president
by the Chinese and 43,000 km Indian territory was “helplessly surrendered” to it. Mr Nadda said Dr Singh’s statement was merely a “word play”.
The former PM said this was a moment Indians must stand together as a nation and be united in their response to this threat. “China is brazenly and illegally seeking to claim parts of Indian territory such as the Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso lake by multiple incursions from April 2020. We cannot and will not be cowed down by threats or intimidation nor permit a compromise with our territorial integrity,” he said.
The Congress has been consistently attacking the Modi government for not coming clean on the incident. Training his guns at Mr Modi, he said: “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.”
“We remind the government that disinformation is no substitute for diplomacy or decisive leadership. The truth can’t be suppressed by having pliant allies spout comforting but false statements,” Dr Singh said.
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Reminding former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that during his tenure in the PMO, 600 incursions into India territory by China took place and 43,000 kilometres of Indian territory was “helplessly surrendered” to the it, BJP president J.P. Nadda on Monday said Dr Singh’s statement was merely a “word play.” Dr Singh has asked the Modi government to come clean on the Galwan Valley incident, in which 20 Indian Army men were martyred last week while reminding the government that “disinformation is no substitute for diplomacy or decisive leadership.”
The Congress has been consistently attacking the Modi government for not coming clean on the incident and has alleged that BJP led NDA government “surrendered” its territory in Ladakh area to China.
Slamming the Congress and the former PM, the BJP president said Dr Singh belongs to the same party which “helplessly surrendered over 43,000 KM of Indian territory to the Chinese...During the UPA years saw abject strategic and territorial surrender without a fight...Time and again belittles our forces.” After questions were raised on PM Narendra Modi’s statements at the all-party meeting held last week on the India-China face-off, Dr Singh cautioned that the PM Modi “must be mindful of the implications of his words” and cannot allow China to use them as a vindication of its position. Asking Dr Singh and the Congress to stop insulting Indian forces repeatedly by questioning their valour, Mr Nadda said the opposition party did the same after India launched air strikes and surgical strikes at terror camps across the Indian-Pakistan border.
“Please understand the true meaning of national unity, especially in such times. It’s never too late to improve ..... Dr Manmohan Singh can certainly share his wisdom on many subjects but the responsibilities of the office of the Prime Minister isn’t one of them. UPA personified systematic institutional erosion of that office, combined with disrespect for our armed forces. NDA has reversed that,” tweeted Mr Nadda.
The BJP president also said that “one only wishes that Dr Singh was as worried about Chinese designs when, as PM, he abjectly surrendered hundreds of square kilometres of India’s land to China.”