INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Beijing has undertaken significant infrastructure construction along the Line of Actual Control, Rajnath Singh told the
defence minister Rajnath Singh told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, two days after Congress MPs in Lok Sabha staged a walkout while claiming
38,000 square kilometres of India's territory in Ladakh, added that Beijing has undertaken significant infrastructure construction along the
Line of Actual Control (LAC)."Our government too has stepped up the budget for border infrastructure development to about double the
previous levels," Rajnath said.The defence minister added that amassing of troops by China along the LAC goes against the 1993 and 1996
agreements.China also claims approximately 90,000 sq km of Indian territory in the Eastern Sector of the India-China boundary in Arunachal
intervening night of 29 and 30 August, Rajnath added that China attempted to change the status quo along the LAC with its provocative
military manoeuvres and that there is a mismatch between what Beijing says and does."There were several friction areas in eastern Ladakh
including Gogra, Kongka La and North and South Banks of the Pangong Lake
row, the minister said skirmishes and face-off with China in the last few months have been primarily over the issue of patrolling the Ladakh
border."No force in the world can stop Indian soldiers from patrolling
Our soldiers have sacrificed their lives only for this," the minister said in response to a question from former defence minister AK
Antony.The impasse was due to differing perceptions of Line of Actual Control between India and China, he said.Rajnath said, "The conduct of
our armed forces throughout these incidents shows that while they maintained 'sayyam' (patience) in face of provocative actions, they also
equally displayed 'shaurya' (courage) when required to protect territorial integrity of India.In a detailed statement in the Rajya Sabha,
Rajnath underlined that while India was committed to peace, it was also firm on protecting its boundaries
The defence minister said it had been conveyed to the Chinese side that the situation at the boundary will also have an implication on other
He said that was not acceptable to India and cautioned China that "we can start a war, but its end is not in our hands."He said India is
seeking a peaceful resolution through talks in the border issue between both the countries
out at what he described as propaganda to show India is divided over the conflict
We have never attacked any country
This is a very sensitive issue
Our soldiers are at the frontier
Defence minister has explained at length the situation
he saidAs several political parties expressed support to the government in the ongoing stand-off with China, Rajnath said the country had
a week after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese doreign minister Wang Yi held a meeting on the sidelines of a conclave of
the Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Moscow, Beijing put the onus of implementing the consensus to
resolve military stand-offs along the disputed boundary between the two nations.They agreed that the current situation in India-China border
the India-China border areas and disengage from the points of standoff in order to defuse tension
He accused the Indian Army of first crossing the Line of Actual Control (LAC).The meeting followed stalled talks between the senior military
commanders of the two nations: Lt Gen Harinder Singh and Maj Gen Liu Lin
Singh and Liu earlier had five rounds of talks, but they did not have any meetings after the fifth on 2 August.Rajnath had addressed the Lok
Sabha on Tuesday, saying Beijing has been very clearly conveyed that any attempt to "unilaterally" change the status quo along the Line of
Actual Control in Ladakh is not acceptable, and that India's armed forces are ready to deal with "all contingencies" in the high-altitude
region.The defence minister said that any serious situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh is bound to impact the
bilateral relations between India and China.Congress had staged a walkout on Tuesday upon not being allowed to hold a discussion on India
signed with India and is committed to maintaining peace in border areas.The two countries have been engaged in a stand-off since April-May
and the Chinese have refused to vacate areas in the Finger area and other friction points in the eastern Ladakh area.With inputs from
PTIFind latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on https://www.reviewcomparepurchase.com
Get technology news, gadgets reviews - ratings
Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
