Days after a clash with China at the border in the Northeast, India's ability to respond to incursions, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, is set for a boost. There is a global alarm as China witnesses a dramatic surge in Covid cases with some experts and The Economist predicting 1.5 million deaths in China alone. A huge row erupted in Parliament today as the ruling BJP demanded an apology from the Congress over remarks by its chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Mr Kharge had made the comments yesterday while making the point that the BJP had not lost anyone in the freedom movement though the Congress had sacrificed many.