"Attempts are being made in some quarters to give a mischievous interpretation to remarks by the Prime Minister at the All-Party Meeting (APM) yesterday," Modi’s office said.
The statement went on to clarify Modi’s words, explaining that the fight in the Galwan Valley, in which 20 Indian soldiers died, successfully foiled Chinese attempts to build structures on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control.
"The Prime Minister’s observations that there was no Chinese presence on our side of the 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," the statement went on to say.
Without mentioning Gandhi or any others by name, the statement went on to lament the politicians’ comments.
"At a time when our brave soldiers are defending our borders, it is unfortunate that an unnecessary controversy is being created to lower their morale... We are confident that the unity of the Indian people will not be undermined by motivated propaganda," Modi’s office said.
Earlier in the day, Modi’s political rival, parliamentarian Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter that Modi has "surrendered Indian territory to Chinese aggression." According to Gandhi, the prime minister’s Friday address to the All-Party Meeting did not clarify where and why the Indian soldiers were killed if Modi insisted that Indian territory was not breached.
The recent skirmish between Indian and Chinese soldiers high up in the desolate Himalayas was the deadliest confrontation between the two countries in nearly 60 years. Since firearms are prohibited by the two as a confidence-building measure, the fight reportedly involved fists and stones.
