India-China standoff: Opposition asks Centre to give ‘clearer picture’ after death of three Army men

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Indian Opposition leaders on Tuesday urged the Centre to give “a clearer picture” to the nation after a commanding officer and two soldiers of the Indian Army lost their lives in a “violent face-off” with Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in Ladakh. This is the first instance of casualties on the Line of Actual Control since 1975.

The exact nature of the confrontation is not yet known. While the Indian Army said casualties occurred on both sides, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian did not confirm it. Zhao accused India of crossing the border twice and attacking Chinese troops and said that this led to “serious physical clashes”. Senior military officials of both the sides are holding a meeting in Galwan Valley to defuse the tension, the Army said.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala asked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to confirm the deaths. “Shocking, unbelievable and unacceptable,” he said in a tweet. “Will the Raksha Mantri [defence minister] confirm?”

The party also urged the Narendra Modi government to convene a meeting to brief all political parties about the ground situation, PTI reported. “It is a matter of serious national concern as it has grave implications for national security,” Congress leader Anand Sharma said. “As we have been…

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