Didi stands by Centre on India-China border face-off

Kolkata, June 19 (IANS) Brushing aside differences, different political parties in West Bengal, including the ruling TMC, expressed support to the Centre after the all-party meeting convened to discuss India-China stand-off in Galwan Valley of Ladakh.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, who took part in the virtual meeting via videoconference, had earlier said that her party’s official stand has always been to stand by the nation when it comes to cross-border conflicts.

“An all-party meeting is a good message for the nation. It shows that we are united behind our jawans. Trinamool Congress strongly stands in solidarity with the government. We will not talk about anything that sends out a wrong message. We will raise queries internally only. We will not bow down to China,” Banerjee is believed to have said during the meeting.

According to government sources, the West Bengal CM opposed China’s move to enter different sectors.

“Don’t let China enter the telecom sector, railways, and civil aviation. We will face some problems but we won’t allow the Chinese to enter. China is not a democracy. They are a dictatorship. They can do what they feel. We on the other hand have to work together,” she said, adding that India will win, and China will lose.

Urging the nation to speak in unison, think in unison and work in unison, Banerjee said that her party is always with the country.

“We stand in solidarity with the government,” she said, according to sources.

Earlier, the Trinamool chief had said her party does not speak about matters relating to foreign matters.

“Let the government of India decide how they want to deal with the situation,” she had said during a press conference on Wednesday evening at the state Secretariat Nabanno.

Senior Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Md. Salim also echoed the views: “It is one nation and we need to stand united at this time. Political differences are immaterial when it comes to any external affairs and cross-border issues.”

Salim said that political parties can always put questions to the government later but not in an all-party meeting on such grave border conflict that has taken place in Ladakh.

–IANS

sbn/tsb