PANAJI: China's attack on Indian soldiers was a pre-planned strategy, but India will not allow the Chinese armed forces to crossover even an inch over the Line of Actual Control, Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik has said.
Naik's comments came while speaking to the media here at the state Bharatiya Janata Party office following the violent face-off at Galwan Valley in Ladakh in which 20 Indian soldiers were brutally killed.
"Today, China's aggression on India is without reason. The attack on six-seven posts is pre-planned on part of China and we are confident that India will give a befitting reply to this," Naik told reporters.
"I offer my condolences to the colonel and other soldiers who were martyred. The whole country is proud of their sacrifice for the motherland. Their sacrifice will not be wasted," the MoS Defence also said.
The North Goa MP also said, that there has been an ongoing discussion on an official level for several days regarding the tension which is prevalent on the India-China border.
"Things had settled along five to six places (along the border). In some places, soldiers on both sides had withdrawn by 2.5 kms. But what happened in Leh recently was a very unfortunate occurrence, after China crossed the border. The matter started from there," Naik said.
"The hand-to-hand fight and the stone-pelting which occurred, in which our colonel, other soldiers died and Chinese soldiers were killed as well, was a big incident... We are firm in our effort and position that we will not allow China or anyone to cross even one inch over the LAC and our border," Naik said.