New Delhi, Aug 21: Home Minister Rajanth Singh today expressed confidence that China would take positive steps to resolve the ongoing Doklam standoff and that peace would prevail between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. "There will be a solution soon and I am sure China will make a positive move," he said.
At the same time, Singh sought to project a strong front saying that while India is not aggressive and has never initiated an attack, it would not compromise on its security. "Our security forces have all the power to protect Indian borders."
Ihere is no world power that can threaten India, Rajnath went on to assert, adding that New Delhi wants to maintain good relations with all its neighbours. The Home Minister brought up Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony from May 2014 to which leaders of all Indian neighbours were invited, calling the initiative a mark of India wanting friendly relations with its neighbours.
The Home Minster's comments came at a function of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in New Delhi today. The ITBP guards the 4,057 km long Sino-Indian border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.
Rajnath did not miss out on this fact, reminding the force that it was responsible for protecting India's security along the Indo-Sino border.
Notably, ITBP soldiers were among those Indian troops involved in the recent Ladakh skirmish that momentarily put a question on whether New Delhi and Beijing could keep the Doklam situation from escalating.
Indian and Chinese soldiers reportedly punched, kicked and threw stones at each other during the August 15 clash on the Pangong Lake in Ladakh.
The clash came as the Doklam standoff near the Sikkim sector of the Indo-China border entered its third month.
India and China have been locked in a face-off in the Doklam after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area.
China claimed it was constructing the road within their territory and has been demanding immediate pull-out of the Indian troops from the disputed Doklam plateau. Bhutan says Doklam belongs to it but China claims it to be its territory.
China has been ramping up rhetoric against India over the last few weeks demanding immediate withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam. The Chinese state media, particularly, have carried a barrage of critical articles on the Dokalam standoff slamming India.
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