NDA MPs meet president over Chinese incursion, Sarabjit issue

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs Friday met President Pranab Mukherjee over Chinese incursion in Ladakh.

The MPs also took up with the president the manner in which the Sarabjit Singh issue was handled by the government.

The delegation, led by senior leader and NDA working chairperson L.K. Advani, also submitted a memorandum seeking the president's intervention on both the issues.

They demanded that Mukherjee discuss these issues with the UPA government and ask it to take appropriate action.

"Sarabjit had reportedly completed his sentence and had received a commutation of his death sentence, as its execution had been delayed for too long. We are given to understand that he was due to be released but held back in Pakistan as a retaliatory gesture," Advani said.

The NDA alleged that Sarabjit's murder could not have taken place without "official connivance" in the Lahore jail and at least some authorities were involved.

"What distresses us very greatly is the inaction of the government of India, the Ministry of External Affairs and the officials concerned of not having constantly monitored this case... We are persuaded to emphasise this because we hold that our government's inaction in this case cannot be condoned. They owe the country an explanation and an apology," Advani said.

On the "unilateral and forceful Chinese occupation" in Ladakh, the NDA expressed concern that this may escalate into a 1962-like situation when there were similar incursions before it turned into a full-blown war.