New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday issued a veiled warning to China and Pakistan saying whoever challenged the country's sovereignty got a befitting reply.
In his address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort for the seventh consecutive time, Modi said that India “will fight both terrorism and expansionism with determination.”
"From LoC (Line of Control) to LAC (Line of Actual Control), anyone who casts an eye on the sovereignty of the country, the armed forces have responded in the language they understand," Modi said.
Modi's comments came amid India's bitter border row with China along the LAC in eastern Ladakh and rise in incidents of ceasefire violations along the LoC with Pakistan in the last few months.
Referring to the Galwan Valley clashes in eastern Ladakh in June, the prime minister said respect for India's sovereignty is supreme and the world has seen in Ladakh what its brave jawans can do to maintain this resolve.
"I salute all those brave soldiers from the Red Fort," Modi said, adding the whole country is united in protecting the sovereignty of the country. Twenty Indian army personnel were killed during the clashes on June 15. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details.
(With inputs from PTI)
