Galwan clash: PM must be mindful of his words, says Manmohan Singh

On Friday, Modi had said, at an all-party meeting: "Neither is anyone inside our territory nor are any of our posts captured."

Without charging Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly, former PM Manmohan Singh said Modi must “always be mindful of the implications of his words.”

“At this moment, we stand at historic crossroads. Our government's decisions and actions will have serious bearing on how future generations perceive us. Those who lead us bear the weight of a solemn duty. In our democracy that responsibility rests with the office of the Prime Minister. The prime minister must always be mindful of the implications of his words and declarations on our nation's security as also strategic and territorial interests," Singh said, in his first reaction after the India-China clash at Galwan Valley in which 20 soldiers lost their lives.

On Friday, Modi had said, at an all-party meeting: “Neither is anyone inside our territory nor are any of our posts captured.” The Congress questioned the statement and questioned whether Modi meant Indian territory had been ceded to China. The PMO warned everyone not to derive a "mischievous interpretation" of PM Modi's remark.

"The prime minister's observations that there was no Chinese presence on our side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) pertained to the situation as a consequence of the bravery of our armed forces. The sacrifices of the soldiers of the 16 Bihar Regiment foiled the attempt of the Chinese side to erect structures and also cleared the attempted transgression at this point of the LAC on that day," the government said...