Minister of State (Mos) for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy on Sunday visited the family of Colonel Santosh Babu in Suryapet in Telangana and offered his condolences.
Speaking after meeting family members of Colonel Santosh Babu, who along with 19 other soldiers was killed in the recent fierce clash in Galwan Valley between Indian and Chinese forces, Kishan Reddy said that a deep anti-China sentiment was on the rise in the country and there was a need to voluntarily boycott Chinese products to the extent possible.
The Army has been given a 'free hand' and 'full freedom' in dealing with China and protecting India's territory and its men in the backdrop of the border face-off in Ladakh, he stated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already held an all-party meeting on the issue and efforts were on to find a solution, he told reporters.
"Taking into consideration the local situation, the government has given full freedom to the Indian Army on how to deal with China while protecting the Indian territory and the lives of the army personnel," he told reporters.
"There is a deep anti-China sentiment on the rise in the country. The public are expressing anti-China opinion all over the country by holding protests and also paying homage to the martyrs. There is a need to voluntarily boycott Chinese products to the extent possible. Public in the country wants that," the Minister said.
The government and the Indian Army will support the families of the martyrs and the purpose of him meeting Colonel Santosh's relatives was to convey the message, he said.
Indian and Chinese armies have been on a six-week-long standoff in eastern Ladakh and a violent clash left 20 Indian Army personnel and injured around 76 in Galwan Valley on June 15.
Meanwhile, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is also set to visit the Colonel's family on Monday. The government had earlier announced Rs 5 crore ex-gratia and a house to the Colonel's family and a Group-1 level job to his wife.
Read: