Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said a peace-loving India was capable of giving a befitting reply if provoked, stressing that no one should have any doubts about it.

The Prime Minister, who had chosen silence for the past one month as the situation on the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh worsened, used a meeting with chief ministers on Covid-19 on Wednesday to deliver the message.

“No one should have any doubt. India wants peace but when provoked, it is capable of giving a yathochit (befitting) reply,” Modi said in his opening remarks in Hindi at the video meeting with chief ministers. The pre-scheduled meeting had been convened to take stock of the coronavirus situation in the country.

Modi used the Hindi word “yathochit” in his speech but the written text of it put out by the government had the word “nirnayak (decisive)”.

‘Satellite image taken on Tuesday shows Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, where 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a “violent face-off” with Chinese troops on Monday night. The Galwan Valley was a settled area on the Indian side of the LAC since the 1962 war but Chinese troops intruded into the area in May and Beijing is now claiming sovereignty over the entire valley. Other than “unnamed sources” leaking unverified information, the Narendra Modi government has not yet told the nation how the situation escalated so badly in just two days. On Saturday, the Indian Army chief had said “the situation along our borders with China is under control”. On Wednesday, a macabre sport of comparing Indian and Chinese casualties emerged on some social media platforms. Amit Malviya, who heads the BJP’s national IT cell, tweeted: “By all accounts, both in national and international media, strategic affairs and security experts included, the casualty on the Chinese side is far higher than on the Indian and the LAC was not violated. This has however upset some ‘assets’, who have been spinning vile stories….” On Tuesday, the ministry of external affairs had said: “India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC.” Malviya’s score-keeping sought to camouflage the elephant in the room: how did the Chinese manage to enter Indian territory and kill Indian soldiers under the watch of a government that swears by a muscular brand of nationalism? Reporting by our bureau and picture by AP

“Bharat shanti chahata hai. Lekin Bharat ko uksane par har haal me nirnayak jawab bhi diya jaayega (Indian wants peace. But if India is provoked, then under any situation, a decisive reply will also be given),” the released text said.

Modi had not spoken a word on the carnage on Tuesday although the army had confirmed the deaths of three soldiers at 12.52pm.

By the time the Prime Minister addressed the chief ministers at 3pm on Wednesday, more than 24 hours had passed and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had expressed solidarity with the government after wondering where Modi was “hiding”.

The Prime Minister, who usually prefers addressing the nation, chose the chief ministers’ meeting to break his silence probably to pre-empt Opposition chief ministers from raising the issue. By then, the PMO had also announced on Twitter an all-party meeting on Friday.

After his remarks, Modi urged the chief ministers to observe two minutes of silence to pay homage to the slain soldiers.

Modi did not clear the air on what led to the carnage and how so many soldiers could be killed when a purported de-escalation process was on.

He focused on lauding the bravery of the soldiers and describing their death as a “sacrifice for the motherland”.

“Desh ko is baat ka garv hoga ki hamare sainik maarte maarte mare hain (The country is proud that our soldiers killed the enemy even as they laid down their lives),” Modi said, suggesting Indian troops had killed Chinese soldiers, too, before they were killed.

“The sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain,” he said, underlining the resolve to protect every inch of land, irrespective of the consequences.

“Chahe sthiti kuch bhi, paristhiti kuch bhi ho, Bharat puri dridhta se, desh ki ek ek inch zamin ki, desh ke swabhiman ki raksha karega (No matter what the situation and circumstances, India will firmly protect every inch of its land and its pride),” Modi said.

“We don’t provoke anyone but we will never compromise on the question of unity and sovereignty of our country,” the Prime Minister said, adding that India has exhibited its “strength” and proven its “capability” whenever the time had come.