PM must rise to the occasion and ensure justice for martyred soldiers: Manmohan Singh

New Delhi, June 22: Former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday said that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi must be mindful of the implications of his words. He cannot China to use them as a vindication of their position, the former PM also said.

In a statement, Singh said that disinformation is no substitute for diplomacy and decisive leadership and the PM must rise to the occasion to ensure justice for Colonel Santosh Babu and the jawans who have made the ultimate sacrifice and resolutely defended our territorial integrity.

To do any less would be a historic betrayal of the people's faith he further added. China is brazenly and illegally seeking to claim parts of Indian territory such as the Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso Lake by committing multiple incursions between April 2020 till date.

"We cannot and will not be cowed down by threats and intimidation nor permit a compromise with our territorial integrity. The Prime Minister cannot allow them to use his words as a vindication of their position and must ensure that all organs of the Government work together to tackle this crisis and prevent it from escalating further," he said adding that the soldiers' sacrifice cannot be allowed to go in vain.

"At this moment, we stand at historic cross-roads," noted the ex-PM adding, "Our government's decisions and actions will have serious bearings on how the future generations perceive us. Those who lead us bear the weight of a solemn duty. And in our democracy that responsibility rests with the office of the Prime Minister," the statement by Dr Singh also read.