Mamata welcomes Centre's decision to call all-party meet
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday welcomed the Centre's decision to call an all-party meeting on June 19 to discuss the situation along the India-China border in Ladakh and said her party stands by the country and the armed forces at this hour of crisis.
"We stand by the country and our armed forces at this hour of crisis and completely support the decision to call an all-party meeting. Technically, it is a correct decision," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief said.
"We do not want to comment on issues relating to external affairs because we are always with the country. Let the government decide how they want to deal with the situation in LAC," she said, when asked about the border standoff with China.
Banerjee also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and a government job for the family members of each of the two soldiers from the state who died during clashes with the Chinese Army at Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh on Monday night.
"My heartfelt condolences to the families of the brave men martyred at #GalwanValley. I'm at pain to say that two of them belonged to West Bengal: Sepoy Rajesh Orang (Vill Belgoria, PS Md Bazar, Birbhum) & Bipul Roy on General Duty (Vill Bindipara, PS Samuktala, Alipurduar)," Banerjee tweeted.
"Nothing can compensate for the supreme sacrifice made by them for the nation or the bereaved families' loss. We stand by the next of the sons of our soil in this difficult time. To this regard, we'll provide Rs 5 lakh & a GoWB job to one member in the deceased's family," she said.
Twenty Indian Army personnel, including a colonel, were killed in a clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff between the two neighbours.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar offered his condolences to the bereaved family of the soldiers and said their martyrdom would not go in vain.
"Befitting response of our Army will not go in vain. Nation is beholden to them for making supreme sacrifice in defence of our sovereignty at zero temperature. We must ever remember-our comfort state is because of ever readiness of our Armed forces to make any sacrifice," Dhankhar tweeted.
