Indian troops on border duty carry arms: Jaishankar to Rahul; Surjewala hits back

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 18

The back and forth between the opposition Congress and the government over Indian soldiers deployed along the LAC in Ladakh continued well into Thursday night with party media head Randeep Singh Surjewala posting a video on his Twitter account to say that the government should stop muddling with facts.

Surjewala was replying to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s rebuttal to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who earlier today asked why soldiers were sent unarmed to the border.

All Indian troops guarding the border with China carry arms, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said earlier, replying to Gandhi’s poser that why Army personnel in Galwan Valley were sent “unarmed to martyrdom”.

The minister said armies of the two sides do not use firearms as per provisions of two bilateral agreements sealed in 1996 and 2005.

Read also: Why Indian soldiers were sent 'unarmed to martyrdom' in Ladakh: Rahul

“Let us get the facts straight. All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post. Those at Galwan on 15 June did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs,” Jaishankar tweeted.

Let us get the facts straight.

All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post. Those at Galwan on 15 June did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs. https://t.co/VrAq0LmADp

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 18, 2020

After Jaishankar asked Gandhi to get the facts straight, Surjewala captioned the video, “Let us not muddle facts @DrSJaishankar. Pl see the video on social media & tell why no firearms are being carried (see 34th sec for Galwan). And Stop quoting Agreement on Border Management to justify sending Soldiers Unarmed in tactical military situation with lives at stake.”

Let us not muddle facts @DrSJaishankar
Pl see the video on social media & tell why no firearms are being carried(see 34th sec for Galwan)

And Stop quoting Agreement on Border Management to justify sending Soldiers Unarmed in tactical military situation with lives at stake pic.twitter.com/MT1rjZYJ23

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) June 18, 2020

Earlier, Gandhi questioned why Indian soldiers were sent “unarmed to martyrdom” in Ladakh and who is responsible for sending them towards danger. He also asked how China dared to kill the Indian soldiers.

Twenty Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel, were killed in the fierce clash between the two armies in Galwan Valley on Monday evening. China has not yet released any casualty figures. — With PTI inputs

Read also:

Chinese activity on Indian side led to clash: MEA

Indian, Chinese armies hold Major General-level talks for third straight day

Why Indian soldiers were sent 'unarmed to martyrdom' in Ladakh: Rahul

China brushes aside questions on attack by its troops on Indian soldiers, damming Galwan river

China to lose two Indian public sector tenders after Galwan Valley clash

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