New Delhi
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday issued a veiled warning to China over their deadly border clashes while also promising to strengthen the country’s military in his Independence Day address at the Delhi Fort.
“India’s integrity is supreme for us. What we can do, what our soldiers can do — everyone saw that in Ladakh,” Modi said, referring to a border clash with Chinese troops in the Ladakh region of the Himalayas on June 15. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the clash, which saw the two sides fighting with batons, stones and bare fists.
China has also acknowledged that it suffered casualties but without giving numbers.
In his address, the Indian premier said that relations with neighbours are now linked to “security, progress and trust”.
“A neighbour isn’t just someone who shares our geography but those who share our hearts. Where the relationship is respected, it becomes warmer,” he said.— AFP
