NEW DELHI: At least 20 political parties are likely to attend the all-party meeting, called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation at the border areas with China that is scheduled to be held on Friday at 5 pm, sources said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda will also be present in the virtual party meeting. According to sources, former BJP chief Rajnath Singh had on Thursday personally invited all leaders on behalf of the Prime Minister.
After coming in for criticism from parties such as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and RJD that they had not received any invitation to the meet, sources clarified that only recognised national parties, those with over five MPs in the Lok Sabha, leading parties from the Northeast and parties with Union Cabinet Ministers had been invited.
The meeting was called after at least 20 Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel rank officer, had lost their lives in the violent face-off with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley area of Ladakh on June 15.
India had said that the violent face-off happened in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.
"In order to discuss the situation in the India-China border areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an all-party meeting at 5 pm on June 19. Presidents of various political parties would take part in this virtual meeting," PMO had tweeted.