Modi to discuss China at all-party meet; RJD, AAP, AIMIM not invited

New Delhi: Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Sitaram Yechury will be among several opposition leaders who are expected to attend Friday’s all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the killing of 20 Indian soldiers by Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the Galwan valley.

There will, however, be no Aam Aadmi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the AIMIM.

The meeting is scheduled at 5 p.m. and it will be attended by the political parties through video conferencing.

This is the first all-party meeting called by Modi after the death of 20 Indian soldiers in a violent face-off with Chinese troops at patrol point 14 on Monday night in Ladakh’s Galwan valley.

The India-China faceoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has been going on since early May and the brutal attack came amid a de escalation operation and disengagement talks already underway.

Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja, DMK President M.K. Stalin, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United President Nitish Kumar will be attending the meeting via video conferencing along with other political party chiefs.

However, RJD, AAP and the AIMIM alleged that they have not been invited to the meeting called by the Prime Minister.

In a tweet on Thursday night, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, “A strange egoistic government is at the Centre. AAp has its government in Delhi, in Punjab it is the main opposition party and also has four MPs and also has its presence across the country. But for all the important issues BJP will not take the opinion of AAP. What the Prime Minister will say during the all party meeting is eagerly awaited by the country Amen.”

RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav also tweeted on Thursday night: “Dear Defence Minister and PMO, Just wish to know the criteria for inviting political parties for tomorrow’s All Party Meet on Galwan Valley. I mean the grounds of inclusion/exclusion. Because our party RJD hasn’t received any message so far.”

Coming under attack from the opposition parties, especially the Congress, the Prime Minister after lengthy meetings with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishanker, on Wednesday sent out a clear signal to China that India won’t tolerate any misadventures when it comes to defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Articulating India’s clear stand, the Prime Minister at the beginning of his video conferencing meeting with the chief ministers said: “I would like to assure the nation that the sacrifice of our jawans will not go in vain. For us, the unity and sovereignty of the country are important. India wants peace but when instigated, India is capable of giving a befitting reply,” he said, adding sacrifice and valour are in India’s character.

IANS