Doklam issue got resolved because India is a world power: Rajnath Singh

Home Minister said that had India remained a weak country, the Doklam standoff won't have had a resolution.

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New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that the Doklam standoff with China was resolved because of India's rise as a world power. Addressing a rally in Bengaluru's Palace Grounds, he said that India's image and prestige on the world stage has changed for the better in recent years.

India and China resolved the Doklam standoff after forces of both countries went eyeball-to-eyeball at the border for 71 days. Tensions rose when China began constructing a road in the plateu at Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction. Both Bhutan and India said that Chinese construction was illegal. The standoff which began in mid-June only ended late August with troops from both countries backing down. Rajnath on Sunday said that India showed it is a mature nation throughout the standoff. "India has become a world power. Had India remained weak, the Doklam conflict would have never been sorted," he said.

Since the standoff ended, both India and China have reaffirmed their determination to resolve disputes peacefully and work towards greater diplomatic and economic co-operation. The Chinese envoy in India recently said both India and China ' must dance together on the path of development.'

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday visited Nathu La on the Indo-China border and interacted with soldiers from both countries. In a tweet from the defence ministry, she was also seen teaching Chinese soldiers the meaning of Namaste. This even as China once again came out strongly to defend its position in Doklam - claiming once again that it is part of its territory.