PM should tell nation how Chinese occupied Indian territory: Sonia

New Delhi, June 17: Congress president Sonia Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday to come forward and tell the country how Chinese troops occupied Indian territory and why 20 soldiers were killed.

In a video message, she assured the country of her party's full support to the Indian Army and government and said, "I am confident that in these challenging times, the entire nation will unite to face the enemy."

"I urge the prime minister to come before the country and reassure it on the basis of truth and facts in this hour of crisis," she added.

Gandhi asked whether some Indian Army personnel were still missing and how many were still seriously injured. She said the government should explain its thinking and strategy to deal with the situation on the border in Ladakh.

"Today, when there is so much anger in the country over Chinese intrusion into Indian border, the prime minister should come out and tell the truth on how the Chinese occupied the Indian territory, why brave soldiers were martyred and what is the current situation along the LAC," she said.

Gandhi assured the country of Congress party's complete solidarity with the Army and government and said, "In this time of crisis, Congress stands with the Indian Army, the soldiers, their families and the government."

She asked the prime minister to detail as to what portions of the Indian territory were under Chinese occupation.

"Which portions of the Indian territory have the Chinese occupied? What is their location? What is the government's thinking and strategy to deal with this situation?" she asked.

The Congress president saluted the slain soldiers and said, "The sacrifice of 20 Indian soldiers on the LAC has shaken the very soul of India. I salute them and pay my tributes from the depths of my heart. I also pray that god grants their families the strength to brave this loss."

Gandhi noted that since the last month and a half, the Chinese army had been intruding into the border region in Ladakh. Twenty Indian Army personnel, including a colonel, were killed in a clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff in the region.