PM sets the tone, calls upon House to back jawans on the China front | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he believed that Parliament and its members would give an unequivocal message that the country stood strongly with soldiers at a time when they were deployed in tough terrain on the borders under adverse circumstances.
“This House, particularly this session, has one more crucial responsibility. Today, the brave soldiers of our Army are on the borders. They are defending the borders with great courage and high spirits, in difficult terrain. And the rains are going to begin in a few days,” the PM said.
Speaking before the start of the 18-day monsoon session, Modi said that just like the faith with which soldiers were standing, determined to protect the motherland, Parliament and all members of the House too would send out a message in a unanimous voice, spirit and resolve — that the country stands in support of the Army. “Sadan ek swar se, ek bhavana se, ek sankalp se yeh sandesh dega ki sena ke jawano ke saath pura desh khada dai,” the Prime Minkister said.
His remarks were in reference to deployment in eastern Ladakh where the Army is engaged in a tense standoff with Chinese troops.
“The entire House stands with the brave soldiers of the country. I believe this House and all the honourable members too will give out a very strong message,” Modi said. His remarks come at a time when most opposition parties have been demanding a debate on the border tension.
Sources said defence minister Rajnath Singh will make a suo motu statement on the subject in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The PM said the session was taking place under special circumstances. “There is a corona pandemic on one hand while our obligation towards fulfilling our duties on the other; and all MPs have chosen the path of duty. I congratulate and thank all MPs for this initiative,” he added.
He said the Budget session had to be wrapped up ahead of schedule but this time, Parliament would be functioning twice a day, with Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha sitting one at a time. “The shift timings had to be changed too. The weekend breaks on Saturday-Sunday too have been cancelled this time. But all the members have accepted this, welcomed this and have decided to continue on the path of duty,” he added.
Urging lawmakers to participate in discussions, Modi said several important decisions would be taken in this session. “Our experience tells us that the more we discuss in LS, the more diverse the discussion is in the House, the more beneficial it is for the country and solving the issues at hand. Lets add value to this great tradition,” the PM said.
Reiterating the importance of being careful until a Covid-19 vaccine was ready, the PM said, “We have to follow the rules and move ahead with great precautions. And it is also clear that we cannot afford any laxity in our approach unless there is a medicine. We are hoping that a vaccine would come up from any corner of the world as soon as possible, and we can succeed in getting everyone out of this crisis.”