New Delhi: After the death of at least 20 Indian soldiers in a violent face-off with China at Galwan Valley, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said the sacrifice of the jawans will not go in vain and that India is capable of giving a fitting reply if provoked.
The PM’s speech seems to have set the tone for BJP’s message on the border clash, with the ruling party ‘caught between rising domestic nationalist sentiments and the global order’.
“The country will be proud to know that our soldiers died fighting the Chinese… I would like to assure the nation that the sacrifice of our jawans will not be in vain. For us, the unity and sovereignty of the country is most important,” said Modi.
Echoing Modi, BJP senior leaders have also said India will retaliate against the Chinese as India is ‘not Nehru’s India of 1962’ and that “Modi is not Nehru”.
A day before the PM’s message, BJP national president J.P. Nadda echoed similar sentiments while referring to the Galwan face-off.
“India is becoming stronger now. The borders of India will remain intact and are intact under the leadership of Narendra Modi…. I can assure you that under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, India’s territorial integrity will not be compromised. We now have the political will and our Army is fully equipped to take any adverse action,” he said, while addressing BJP leaders and workers in Kerala through a virtual rally.
BJP’s national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh in a series of tweets Tuesday said the casualties on the Chinese side is “still more huge” and that the “resolute” of the India forces forced Chinese troops to retreat.
The Indian forces have engaged in a unprecedented face off with Chinese troops in Galway valley & Pangong Tso in Leh region . Indian efforts at building infrastructure in a never before scale increased Chinese worries .
— B L Santhosh (@blsanthosh) June 16, 2020
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‘Modi is not Nehru’
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha has tweeted that the entire nation is standing with PM Modi like the Mount Everest as “he is not Nehru, but Modi”. He added: “India will write the story of the end of China.”
Party vice-president Prabhat Jha echoed Sinha and told ThePrint PM Modi is “pragmatic” and he won’t “compromise” even one inch of land.
“Modi is not Nehru who lost the battle (against China in 1962) while reciting ‘Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai… Without wasting the sacrifice of soldiers, he will ensure sovereignty,” he said.
On Twitter, Jha wrote Tuesday: “This is not Nehru’s 1962 India, but Modi’s 2020 India where each and every child is Narendra Modi.”
BJP general secretary Anil Jain, meanwhile, took exception to the Congress seeking answers from PM Modi over the killing of the Indian soldiers.
“… we stood up in solidarity behind Nehru and Indira (Gandhi) in 1962 and 1971. Is this time to ask such questions ‘Where is the prime minister?’ ‘Why he is not responding’. Is this a joke? Soldiers have died at the borders, their bodies are lying. (But) Congress has forgotten its history. We don’t want to remember 1962 and their other mishandling. Today is the time to stand with the government and the Army,” he said.
A party general secretary, who didn’t want to be named, told ThePrint no one can doubt the PM’s integrity and decisiveness in handling critical issues, but action against China couldn’t be taken hastily.
“The country has seen the resolve of PM Modi during the (2016) surgical strike. So nobody can doubt the PM’s integrity and decisiveness in handling critical issues. But it is also true that we can’t be in haste in taking action against China,” he said.
“Any response will be calibrated and will be taken by the government after national consensus. This message has to be communicated… that is why the national president (Nadda) told people (in Kerala) in the virtual rally that territorial integrity under Modi leadership will not be compromised,” he added.
Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari echoed his party leaders’ sentiments, saying: “We believe in Modi ji’s leadership. He will exercise diplomatic and military options if necessary.”
But he also asked if the opposition will stand with India or for the heck of opposing Modi, “they will betray the country”.
Also read: Time for Modi to take political stand on China. Military talks won’t deter the bully
BJP’s three-pronged approach
BJP leaders have also called for a tit-for-tat response, with party MP from Deoria Ramapati Ram Tripathi, tweeting: “Mistakes will be rectified and debt of the martyrs will be paid.”
Even the opposition leaders like Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Choudhary have called for tough response so that “the tragic deaths of our brave and courageous soldiers cannot and should not go in vain”.
A second general secretary told ThePrint the BJP will handle the border issue domestically in three ways.
“First is to assure people that Modi will not compromise India’s interest unlike what happened in the past. Second, for wider national consensus, the government will use all political instruments for engaging with the leaders of opposition through meetings since this stand-off may prolong. So engagement is necessary to diffuse criticism, and to take political and diplomatic actions in the coming days,” he added.
“Third is, diplomatic engagement against China for international consensus, which the government is actively doing,” he said.
The senior leader also said “we are caught between domestic nationalism and global order” and the government has to find a balance between the two.
Also read: Modi-Shah’s Aksai Chin bravado activated China’s Ying Pai to cross LAC
” MODI IS NOT NEHRU”
A certain reality.The BJP knows for sure.Discovery of India, Glimpses of History a Tryst with Destiny. Juxtapose them with Khabristan, Smashaan, differentiating dress, Mian Musharaf so on so on. Certainly Modi is not Nehru. A fact BJP or Modi can not even dream of
Nehru phobia. journalist. 1962 is not 2020. true. but it is also true that 20 indian brave soldiers died after almost 45 years . seven trips and interactions with chinese president. grand interaction in gujarat swinging . and issue brewing for the past one month. usual blame game and chest thumping to cover up abysmal failure to act and what prevented the Fuhrer to talk directly to the President to calm waters. deliberate strategy to escape total mismanagement of economy and corona. as Vajpayee closed his eyes to kargil incursions to force a war on this country. disgusting. is it a failure of diplomacy of the golbal leader as the godi media and journalists like the present one claim or betrayal of chinese leadership. if betrayal is true now it was true in 1962 as well. and in both the instances the botch up and diplomatic failure resulted in our brave soldiers dying. absolutely avoidable. press!!!!! do not become mouthpieces of political establishment . we stand united and support this govt but let this govt stop shifting blame and answer questions , an essential check and balance for any democracy to survive. do not push uncomfortable questions in thename of unity. united we shall. stop being apologists of chest thumping and deceit and make the govt answerable as responsible journalists.
Mod is not Nehru
Nehru died of shock of PLA and Chou En Lai – but his legacy lived for more than half a century
PLA and PRC will destroy Modi and the RSS/BJP FOREVER.
Never let a nation be run by banias !
It brings doom – FAST
In the past when India has been ruled by sons of dishwashers.harlots.nautch girls.prostitutes … their entire dynasty was destroyed in around 70 days
India is in its 73 rd year and Modi has come to nail the nation
The PRC and PLA were waiting for such a fool with bravado and braggadico and a son of dishwasher – who would over-extend his hand,and have blind faith on his military
Nehru had faith on his statesmanship and had blind faith on his Defense Minister who had faith ONLY on his General – rest is history.
The PRC and PLA will doom Modi and his party forever.It will be a cataclysmic disaster for the Chaiwala.dindooohindoo