Indian PM Narendra Modi warns China after Ladakh clash, promises coronavirus vaccine for all citizens

Modi did not mention China specifically during Independence Day ceremony but discussed India’s ‘supreme’ sovereignty and military capability

A border clash in the Himalayas on June 15 left 20 Indian soldiers dead and created a rift in the countries’ relationship

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation during Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort in Delhi. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:34pm, 15 Aug 2020Updated: 8:42pm, 25 Nov 2020

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a new warning to China over deadly border tensions on Saturday, using his most important speech of the year to promise to build a stronger military.

Modi also told the Independent Day ceremony that India has three Covid-19 vaccines under trial and will ensure a vaccine reaches every citizen, while paying tribute to those fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Attendance at the historic Red Fort in New Delhi for the speech was cut by more than half to 4,000 people, all of whom sat two metres apart because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Hindu nationalist prime minister mentioned confrontations with Pakistan and China on their disputed borders, without naming either country.

“Anyone who has cast an eye on the country’s sovereignty, the country’s army has answered them in their own language,” he said. “India’s integrity is supreme for us. What we can do, what our soldiers can do – everyone saw that in Ladakh,” referring to a border clash with Chinese troops in the Ladakh region of the Himalayas on June 15.