The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Saturday said that “attempts are being made to give a mischievous interpretation” to comments made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after an all-party meeting yesterday following the military clash in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan valley with Chinese troops in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred.

“As regards transgression of LAC (Line of Actual Control), it was clearly stated that the violence in Galwan on 15 June arose because Chinese side was seeking to erect structures just across the LAC and refused to desist from such actions,” the Centre said in a statement today.

Attempts are being made in some quarters to give a mischievous interpretation to remarks by the PM @narendramodi at All-Party Meeting yesterday

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PM was clear that India would respond firmly to any attempts to transgress the Line of Actual Control

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— PIB India (@PIB_India) June 20, 2020

“The prime minister’s observations that there was no Chinese presence on our side of the LAC (Line of Actual Control) pertained to the situation as a consequence of the bravery of our armed forces,” it added.

Yesterday, in the virtual meeting attended by 20 political parties, PM Modi had said the Indian armed forces are doing whatever is necessary to protect the country. He further assured that “we are capable and nobody can take even an inch of our land.”

He added that the Indian Army is capable to move in any sector simultaneously and underscored that the whole nation stands united with the soldiers defending the borders and has full faith in their courage and bravery.

The Opposition Congress as well as defence experts raised questions over PM Modi’s remarks asking that if there was no transgression by the Chinese troops in Galwan Valley then how did the Indian soldiers die. Some doubts were raised if PM Modi gave a clean chit to China over the violent clashes with led to the death of 20 of Indian soldiers.

“The sacrifices of the soldiers of the 16 Bihar Regiment foiled the attempt of the Chinese side to erect structures and also cleared the attempted transgression at this point of the LAC on that day,” the PMO said.

“The words of the prime minister ‘those who tried to transgress our land were taught a befitting lesson by our brave sons of soil’, succinctly summed up the ethos and the values of our armed forces,” it said.