Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 18

Three days after 20 soldiers were killed in a clash with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China in the Galwan valley, a row has erupted over the use of firearms or the lack of these.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, responding to claims that the Indian troops were ‘unarmed’ during the clash with the Chinese, tweeted: “All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post. Those at Galwan on June 15 did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs.” He was responding to a tweet by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking why Indian soldiers were “sent unarmed to martyrdom”.

Let us not muddle facts @DrSJaishankar. Please tell why no firearms were carried. Stop quoting agreement on border management to justify sending soldiers unarmed in tactical military situation. —Randeep Singh Surjewala, Cong Leader

He put out a video message: “I want to know who sent these unarmed soldiers in the harm’s way and why. Who is responsible?” The Jaishankar-Rahul spat comes just a day ahead of the all-party meeting convened by the PM on the Galwan clash.

Joining the debate, Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh said: “Somebody failed to do his job out there and we need to find out who that was.” Senior Army officers said there was a standard operating procedure. Even if a forward team went ahead for negotiations with the Chinese along the LAC, there was a laid down response mechanism and this could be using firearms in the face of enemy action.