Hope PM follows Manmohan Singh's advice for country's benefit: Rahul Gandhi

After former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh targetted the Centre over India-China border tension asserting that "disinformation was no substitute for either diplomacy or decisive leadership", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that he hopes Prime Minister Narendra Modi will follow Singh's advice for the country's betterment.

Taking To Twitter, Gandhi scion shared the statement of Dr Singh and wrote: "Important advice by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. For the betterment of India, I hope the Prime Minister will follow his advice humbly."

Dr Singh on Monday urged all Indians to "stand together as a nation and be united" in response to China "brazenly and illegally seeking to claim parts of Indian territory."

It is to mention that this is the first time that the senior Congress leader has responded since the violent face-off in Ladakh between Indian and Chinese troops that claimed the lives of 20 Indian Army personnel.

Singh, in a statement, urged the Centre to ensure complete transparency, "We remind the Government that disinformation is no substitute for diplomacy or decisive leadership. The truth cannot be suppressed by having pliant allies spout comforting but false statements."

The former Prime Minister also said that the Centre'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 Prime Minister must always be mindful of the implications of his words and declarations on our Nation's security as also strategic and territorial interests."

"China is brazenly and illegally seeking to claim parts of Indian territory such as the Galwan Valley and the 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 statement by Singh read.

He also implored the Prime Minister and the Centre to rise to the occasion and ensure that there is justice for Colonel B Santosh Babu and other soldiers "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.