'Why send soldiers? Send RSS people to guard borders': Congress' Dalwai on LAC with China

Ahead of the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation at the India-China border, Congress leader Husain Dalwai on Friday said the meeting has been called "very late" but "better late than never" He said that the nation needs to know about the situation at the border post the Galwan Valley faceoff in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred on Monday.

'Is this RSS shakha?'

The Congress leader echoed Rahul Gandhi's factually-fatal and widely-panned line of attack and said that "the Chinese have entered the Indian territory and killed our unarmed soldiers. They bought iron sticks with them to cause damage and nobody died on their side. I think the Indian side has incurred huge damage. Our strategy failed. How could we send them without weapons." 

Dalwai added, "If they would have fought then I could have understood but they did not get an opportunity to fight. They just had sticks. Is this RSS shakha? Why send soldiers? Send RSS people. They'll guard the border."

At least 20 parties to attend the meeting 

At least 20 political parties are likely to attend the all-party meeting, called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation at the border areas with China that is scheduled to be held on Friday at 5 pm, ANI sources said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda will also be present in the virtual party meeting.

According to sources, former BJP chief Rajnath Singh had on Thursday personally invited all leaders on behalf of the Prime Minister.

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Among those who have been invited are Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, TMC chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, DMK president MK Stalin among others.

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This is the first time since the eruption of border tensions in April that the PM has called for an all-party meeting to discuss the conflict. So far, his virtual meetings with opposition leaders have been on the coronavirus pandemic.

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At least 20 Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel rank officer, had lost their lives in the violent face-off in the Galwan valley area of Ladakh on June 15. The violent face-off happened on late evening and the night of June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on June 16.

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(With agency inputs)