BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda today tweeted to say that his party has decided to cancel all its political programmes including virtual rallies for next two days to honour the "supreme sacrifice" of the 20 soldiers who laid down their lives for India in a violent face-off with the Chinese army in Ladakh. "The nation is indebted to them," he said.
"The supreme sacrifice of our brave soldiers while guarding our motherland in Galwan valley will always be remembered. The nation is indebted to them. I pay homage to the martyrs. BJP has decided to postpone all its political programmes including virtual rallies for next two days," Mr Nadda tweeted.
The violent face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers took place near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de-facto border between the two countries. Indian soldiers were attacked with iron rods and nail-studded clubs during the clash which took place at nearly 15,000 feet near the freezing Galwan River.
A colonel was among the 20 soldiers killed in the line of duty on Monday. Their sacrifice will not be in vain, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his first comments on the Ladakh clash, warning that India "is capable of giving a fitting reply if provoked".
About 45 Chinese soldiers were also killed or injured, said army sources.
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, in a phone conversation with his China counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday, told the Chinese leader that the "pre-meditated and planned action" by the Chineese soldiers was directly responsible for Monday's clash at Galwan valley.
India also conveyed to China the fact that the deadly clash in eastern Ladakh on Monday night will have "a serious impact" on relations between the two countries.
Both the countries held Major General-level talks yesterday, but they proved to be ïnconclusive". A second meeting is currently being held at Galwan valley.
At the moment, there are no signs of the Chinese disengaging from the area, sources told NDTV. The area is close to the Line of Actual Control or LAC between India and China in eastern Ladakh.
China overran Indian posts in this area in the 1962 war, but since then has not frequently patrolled this area and has not asserted any territorial claims. They now lay claim to the entire Galwan valley, which places them in a direct stand-off with the Indian Army.
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