This June 18, 2020, satellite photo released by Planet Labs, shows the reported site of a fatal clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan River Valley in the Ladakh region near the Line of Actual Control. (AP)
India-China Border Face-off Latest News Live Update: Rejecting China’s claim of sovereignty over the Galwan Valley, the site in Ladakh where the violent showdown took place, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a strong rebuttal and stated that attempts by Beijing to now advance “exaggerated and untenable claims” with regard to Line of Actual Control there are not acceptable.
“The position with regard to the Galwan Valley area has been historically clear…They are not in accordance with China’s own position in the past,” said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava. On Friday, China had said the Galwan valley was “located on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control”, making an unprecedented formal claim on an area that has always been under India’s control. The Galwan Valley has not figured in China’s maps since 1962.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister Office issued a clarification regarding Narendra Modi’s concluding address at the all-party meeting. Stating that attempts are being made to give a “mischievous interpretation” to the PM’s remarks, the PMO clarified that the violent faceoff on June 15 happened because China was trying to erect structures “just across the Line of Actual Control (LAC)” and did not desist from such actions. The government clarification came amidst the criticism from the opposition, with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi accusing the PM of having “surrendered” Indian territory to Chinese aggression. Last night, PM Modi had said, “Neither has anyone intruded into the Indian territory nor is anyone inside our territory now. None of our military posts has been captured by anyone.”
In the worst flare-up on the LAC in more than five decades, 20 Indian Army personnel, including the Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar, were killed Monday night in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh where disengagement of troops on either side was underway. It was the first time in the last 45 years that Indian or Chinese troops have been killed on the LAC.
Indian paramilitary soldiers keep guard as Indian army convoy moves on the Srinagar- Ladakh highway at Gagangeer, north-east of Srinagar, on Thursday. (AP)
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took potshots at the PMO over the clarification issued regarding Narendra Modi's last night's address, in which he said: "Neither has anyone intruded into the Indian territory nor is anyone inside our territory now. None of our military posts has been captured by anyone."
Rejecting China's claim of sovereignty over the Galwan Valley of Ladakh, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a strong rebuttal and stated that attempts by Beijing to "now advance exaggerated and untenable claims with regard to Line of Actual Control there are not acceptable".
"The position with regard to the Galwan Valley area has been historically clear...They are not in accordance with China’s own position in the past," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastva.
The MEA also rejected Chinese charge that India was "unilaterally" changing the status quo. "On the contrary, we were maintaining it," MEA said.
On Friday, China had said the Galwan valley was “located on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control”, making an unprecedented formal claim on an area that has always been under India’s control. The Galwan Valley has always been under India’s control, and has not figured in China’s maps since 1962.
Hours after senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram's media address on Galwan clashes, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala issued a rejoinder in response to the PMO statement on Friday, saying the 'statement is clearly a lame attempt to obfuscate the truth'.
"The PMO’s statement is clearly a lame attempt to obfuscate the truth. First of all, PMO and the Government need to clearly state their position on the Galwan Valley. Is Galwan Valley not part of Indian territory? Why is Government not coming forward and strongly rebutting the Chinese claim over Galwan Valley? If Chinese troops are present there, does it not amount to intrusion into and occupation of Indian territory? Also, why is the Government silent on intrusions in the Pangong Tso area?" read the rejoinder.
Stating that Nepal has always stood firmly for regional and world peace, the Nepal government expressed confidence that both India and China will resolve their mutual differences through peaceful means in favour of bilateral, regional and world peace, and stability.
Less than an hour after the Congress' address, the government released a statement, saying, "Attempts are being made in some quarters to give a mischievous interpretation to remarks made by the PM at the All-Party Meeting (APM) yesterday. The Prime Minister's observations that there was no Chinese presence on our side of the LAC pertained to the situation as a consequence of the bravery of our armed forced. The sacrifices of the 16 Bihar Regiment foiled the attempt of the Chinese side to erect structures and also cleared the attempted transgression at this point of the LAC on that day."
Workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena staged a protest at a construction site in Thane city, over a signboard put up in Chinese, PTI reported. Over 20 MNS workers gathered at a construction site in Balkum area in Thane city on Friday evening. The protest was against a China-based company, which had put up a signboard in Chinese at the site, said Avinash Jadhav, president of MNS' Thane and Palghar district units. Protesters were seen carrying flags and shouting anti-China slogans at the site. Till the entire border issue is resolved, the Chinese company should not conduct any business here and the signboard should be removed at the earliest, Jadhav said.
P Chidambaram added: "Boycotting Chinese goods will not hurt the Chinese economy. I don't think we should bring issues like boycott while discussing grave matters such as defence and national security."
"If the government doesn't responds to China's claims over Galwan Valley today itself, it might have terrible consequences," P Chidambaram said.
"Even after PM’s statement, China has blamed India for the clashes and has re-asserted its claim to the entire Galwan Valley. What is the government’s answer to this claim? Will the Government of India reject this claim?," the Congress leader asked. He added: "What was the meaning of the 'disengagement' that the government said was 'underway'? If no Chinese troops are inside Indian territory in Ladakh, why did 20 soldiers have to make the supreme sacrifice?"
"When the PM said a few days ago that the 'sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain', what did he have in mind? Why and where did the soldiers sacrifice their lives, and how will the government ensure that the sacrifice will not be in vain? We ask these questions while reiterating our total support to the Government of India and India’s defence forces. The defence of the nation and its territorial integrity are dear to the heart of every Indian. We therefore seek answers to the questions with a view to re-double our commitment and present a picture of unity and solidarity," Chidambaram added.
Addressing the media on the Galwan clashes, former Union minister P Chidambaram said: "What was the issues that the local commanders were talking with their counterparts. If no Chinese troops were inside the Indian territory, where did the clashes take place and where were the soldiers killed? If no Chinese soldiers were inside our territory, why were 20 soldiers sacrificed? What is the government's reactions to China's claims over Galwan Valley?"
Shiv Sena deputy leader Priyanka Chaturvedi today sought the Centre's response on China's claim that the sovereignty over the Galwan Valley area in Ladakh belonged to it. Taking to Twitter, Chaturvedi said, "Yesterday PM Modi assured the nation that no posts/territory have been ceded to China, but here China claims Galwan Valley as theirs." "This is unacceptable and the government needs to clarify or respond to this. Have we ceded our Galwan valley or ousted the PLA from there? Nation wants to know," the recently elected Rajya Sabha member said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian this morning reiterated Beijing’s claim on the Galwan Valley. Taking to Twitter, he called for a “step-by-step account of the Galwan clash”. “The Galwan Valley is located on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control in the west section of the China-India boundary. For many years, the Chinese border troops have been patrolling and on duty in this region," he tweeted.
Large scale movement of troops to Ladakh has been ordered by the Army from other parts of the country after the clash at Galwan between Indian and Chinese troops. While the build-up of forces had already taken place to a considerable extent after the Chinese forces had gathered in strength along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and in certain areas across it, the Galwan clash has led to a fresh strategic assessment. Highly placed sources informed The Indian Express that a formation from Uttar Pradesh has been ordered to move to Ladakh post-haste Thursday night. Similar movements have also been ordered from other areas too.
There is outrage across the country against China's "dastardly act" in Ladakh and the nation is united in its desire for revenge, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Friday. Kumar, who heads the JD(U), made the remarks at the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation. "We grew up hearing slogans of 'Hindi Chini bhai bhai'. But despite India's efforts to have good relations with the neighbouring country, the latter's response has always left much to be desired," he was quoted as saying by PTI. "China's action has led to a situation wherein the entire nation is yearning for revenge. There is outrage over the incident," Kumar added.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday called for aggressive steps to take back the Galwan Valley territory seized by the Chinese, and urged the Centre to issue an ultimatum to Beijing to vacate the occupied land immediately, with a clear warning that failure to do so would lead to serious consequences for them. “While India would also have to suffer some consequences of such an act, it could no longer afford to allow such intrusions and attacks on its territorial integrity to continue,” said Singh while talking informally to mediapersons at the Chandigarh air base where he had gone to pay tributes to the three sepoys whose mortal remains were flown in from the Galwan Valley. Declaring himself to be totally against following an appeasement policy with regards to China, Amarinder said past experience showed that when faced with aggression, the Chinese had always backed off. It was time to call their bluff, he asserted, reiterating that every Indian wants a befitting response to be given to the Chinese.
An Army officer presents the national flag to the brothers of Sepoy Gurtej Singh, at the soldier’s last rites at Birewala Dogran in Mansa, on Friday. (Express photo/Gurmeet Singh)
The political slugfest on Twitter between Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar about the death of 20 soldiers in a violent faceoff with the Chinese in Ladakh brought home the fact that the Indian troops were armed, but did not open fire. The minister said that “all troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post. Those at Galwan on 15 June did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs”. The protocols Jaishankar referred to are from agreements signed between India and China in 1996 and 2005. The 1996 agreement is on Confidence-Building Measures in the Military Field Along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas. “With a view to preventing dangerous military activities along the line of actual control in the India-China border areas… Neither side shall open fire, cause bio-degradation, use hazardous chemicals, conduct blast operations or hunt with guns or explosives within two kilometres from the line of actual control. This prohibition shall not apply to routine firing activities in small arms firing ranges,” says Article VI(1) of the 1996 agreement. Click here to read more.
The killing of 20 Indian soldiers by the Chinese PLA in eastern Ladakh this week has led to a serious trust deficit between the two countries at the political, diplomatic and military level, Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain told The Indian Express on Friday. India now needs to ensure its military preparedness is of the highest order even if immediate military action to restore status quo ante may not necessarily be an option at the moment, he added. “Now there is a complete trust deficit at the political, diplomatic or military level as far as China is concerned. We have to be mindful of the fact that the Chinese are looking for much more, some kind of permanent posturing in eastern Ladakh, to create a tactical advantage at places. We have to ensure that our military preparedness is of the highest order. That is already happening. Our Air Force is on alert. Our reserve formations of the Army have already moved or in the process of moving. It does not mean we are going to war but when trust is so low we cannot afford to take chances,” Hasnain said.