Congress attacks Jaishankar on protocol theory in Galwan face-off

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday continued to criticise Union Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar for referring to the protocol on the question of the Indian soldiers being 'unarmed' during the face-off with the Chinese in the Galwan valley.

Congress leader Kapil Sibal said in a tweet, "No protocol can stand in the way of 'self-defence' if our soldiers are attacked."

He said, "On the LAC an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth and no protocol can prevent soldiers from carrying arms for protection.

"Neither 1996 nor 2005 CBM's prevent our soldiers from carrying weapons," Sibal added in the tweet.

Jaishankar on Thursday rebutted Rahul Gandhi on Twitter over the issue and said in a tweet, "Let us get the facts straight. All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving a post.

"Those at Galwan on 15 June did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs," he wrote.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had tweeted a video on Thursday morning, asking why Indian soldiers were "unarmed" during the face-off with the Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night.

"How dare China kill our unarmed soldiers? Why were our soldiers sent unarmed to martyrdom?" Gandhi had commented, evoking massive response on Twitter.