San Francisco: In a strong message to China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that if harmed, India will not spare anyone.
Speaking at a reception hosted in his honour by Indian Consulate in San Francisco, Rajnath spoke about the bravery displayed by Indian soldiers on the border with China.
“I cannot say openly what they (Indian soldiers) did and what decisions we (the government) took. But I can definitely say that a message has gone (to China) that India will not spare anyone, if India is harmed (Bharat ko agar koi chherega to Bharat chhorega nahi),” the Defence Minister stated.
Rajnath told the Indian-American community in San Francisco that India has emerged as a powerful country under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The image of India has changed. The prestige of India has improved. In the next few years, no power in the world can stop India from becoming the world’s top three economies,” Singh said.
Border tensions between the two countries had been simmering since May 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area. On June 15, 2020, soldiers from both armies clashed in Galwan Valley, in eastern Ladakh. Twenty Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese troops were killed in the violent skirmish.
Thereafter, India and China have held 15 rounds of military talks, but the standoff in eastern Ladakh remains unresolved.
