Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi had earlier today posted a tweet with a video with the caption “How dare China kill our UNARMED soldiers? Why were our soldiers sent UNARMED to martyrdom?”with the emphasis being on the word ‘unarmed’.
How dare China kill our UNARMED soldiers?
Why were our soldiers sent UNARMED to martyrdom?pic.twitter.com/umIY5oERoV
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 18, 2020
Mr. Rahul Gandhi again in a separate video message with the caption “kaun jimmedaar hain?” (Who is responsible?) questioned the government on why the soldiers were sent unarmed to deal with the Chinese Army.
कौन ज़िम्मेदार है? pic.twitter.com/UsRSWV6mKs
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 18, 2020
Responding to Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar replying to the earlier tweet said that “All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post”, breaking Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s narrative about our army men being without arms.
He added that the soldiers at Galwan too had arms with them.
He said that it was a long-standing practice as per the 1996 and 2005 agreements to not use firearms during faceoffs.
Let us get the facts straight.
All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post. Those at Galwan on 15 June did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs. https://t.co/VrAq0LmADp
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 18, 2020
On the intervening night of June 15 and 16, a violent skirmish broke off between the Indian and Chinese Army at the Galwan Valley that ended in 20 Indian soldiers getting martyred and reportedly 43 casualties on the Chinese side.