Khurshid briefs Mulayam on China strategy

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Friday met Samajwadi Paty chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and briefed him on the government's stand and strategy on tackling the Chinese incursion in Ladakh.

The Samajwadi Party has been attacking the government for not taking action against China.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Mulayam Singh said: "Now government is showing some seriousness. But the need is to drive the Chinese out of our territory...it is a very serious matter."

He, however, did not disclose details of his discussion with Salman Khurshid.

The SP chief said the Chinese army had entered one km inside Indian territory when he was the defence minister in the United Front government (1996-97).

"I directed the (Indian) forces to drive them out. We entered four km inside Chinese territory in the process," he claimed.

"I told him (Khurshid) Chinese cannot be trusted."

Asked about the meeting, Khurshid said, "I briefed him on various things."

Khurshid, along with Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy, met Mulayam Singh in Parliament House Friday morning to brief him.

SP sources said Mulayam Singh was briefed about the government's stand and strategy to deal with the incursion in Ladakh region. The issue of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who died in hospital Thursday after a brutal attack on him in a Lahore jail, also cropped up during the 40-minute discussion, they said.

The SP has been attacking the government for not taking action against Chinese incursion, with Mulayam Singh going to the extent of calling the government "cowardly".

"This government is cowardly, incompetent and good for nothing," Mulayam Singh said in the Lok Sabha Monday.