No area in Arunachal occupied by China: Top Eastern Command official

KOLKATA: Stressing that the border areas along the northern frontier are stable and firmly in control, the Indian Army's Eastern Army commander, Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita, on Friday said there has been no Chinese incursion into Indian territory during the recent clash at Tawang.
"There are eight disputed areas where lines of differing perceptions are acknowledged by both sides. In one of these, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) had transgressed. But it was contested in a firm and resolute manner by our forces, which led to some amount of physical violence, causing minor injuries to people from both sides. Local commanders were able to resolve the issue by carrying out negotiations and resorting to the existing protocol. That was followed by flag meetings at the delegation level at Bumla," the GOC-in-C Eastern Command said.
He was speaking during the wreath-laying ceremony on Vijay Diwas, celebrated to commemorate India's victory against Pakistan in the 1971 war and the subsequent formation of Bangladesh. This is the first time the Eastern Army commander has broken silence on the December 9 India-China clash.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh had earlier told Parliament that Chinese troops had tried to transgress across the LAC at Yangtse, in Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, to "unilaterally change the status quo" there, but were beaten back by Indian soldiers. Singh had also made it clear that the PLA troops had provoked the face-off, and that India has asked China to "refrain from such actions".
Asked if there had been any area in Arunachal that was occupied by Chinese forces, Lt Gen Kalita clarified that there were none. He also ruled out any construction activity on the Chinese side of Doklam.
Watch Issues resolved, we are firmly in control: Lt Gen RP Kalita on border areas along northern frontier