Panaji, Aug 8 (IANS): The stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam on Monday came up in Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's assembly poll campaign with the state BJP unit claiming that India could take on its mighty eastern neighbour only because of his strengthening of the country's armed forces during his tenure as Defence Minister.

"Today, the Defence Ministry has forged so far ahead, we have seen it all. The direct result can be seen in Doklam in Sikkim (sector), where we are prepared to take on a big country like China. All the credit should go to Parrikar bhai along with our PM Narendra Modi," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state spokesman Dattaprasad Naik said at a press conference here.

He also said that the surgical strike against Pakistan was carried out because Parrikar was Defence Minister.

Parrikar, who was rushed back to state politics in March this, is contesting the assembly by-poll in Panaji against Congress candidate Girish Chodankar.