Rajnath warns against attempts to challenge India’s sovereignty, says talks under way but no 'guarantee'

Arun Joshi
Jammu, July 17 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday cautioned those eyeing Indian territory or hurting its sovereignty and said that they would be given a befitting reply.

Speaking in Leh, Singh said he hoped that Indo-China talks were moving towards the resolution of the crisis.

He said, talks were underway to resolve the situation, “but I cannot guarantee as to what extent the issue would be resolved”.

Also read: Rajnath Singh for befitting reply to Pakistan on LoC; exhorts forces to show zero-tolerance to terrorism

Hints of the complex nature of the talks were also dropped by the Indian Army, in a statement, on Thursday.

Without naming China, Singh said: “India’s commitment to peace should not be taken as a weakness as we are capable of defeating designs of the adversaries.” 

Singh was speaking from the banks of Pangong Tso, where Chinese had put up a massive built up of its troops and war machinery.

He said: “No country can take even an inch of our land; our soldiers and the nation are ready to meet and defeat any such designs.”

Singh, who is on a two-day visit of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, had begun his tour by witnessing military exercises in Ladakh. He later travelled to the forward position to deliver a message of solidarity with the soldiers. His message from Pangong Tso holds a strategic message as it is close to the area where the standoff occurred in eastern Ladakh.

Earlier, he also held a review meeting with the commanders and hoped that the situation would get resolved soon as the talks with China were progressing.