Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while speaking at Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha said that neither any Indian soldier was killed nor any one suffered serious injury and the government talked to the neighbour country through diplomatic channel.
New Delhi: Amid uproar over reports of clash between Indian and Chinese troops at Line of actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh last week, the government on Tuesday said that the Indian soldiers repulsed an attempt “unilaterally change the status quo”. The government, in parliament today, stated that Indian soldiers stopped the forces of neighbor country from attempting a land grab and forced them to return to their posts.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while speaking at Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha said that neither any Indian soldier was killed nor any one suffered serious injury and the government talked to the neighbour country through diplomatic channel. The Defence Minister said that attempts were made at both the level immediately.
“I would like to brief this august House about an incident on our border in Tawang Sector of Arunachal Pradesh on 9the December. PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in Yangtse area of Tawang Sector and unilaterally change the status quo. The Chinese attempt was contested by our troops in a firm and resolute manner. The ensuing face-off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts. The scuffle led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides. I wish to share with this House that there are no fatalities or serious casualties on our side,” he said.
The Defence Minister further said that due to timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA soldiers went back to their locations. As a follow-up of the incident, local Commander in the area held a Flag Meeting with his counterpart on 11 December to discuss the issue in accordance with established mechanisms. The Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and maintain peace and tranquility along the border. The issue has also been taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels.
“I would like to assure this House that our Forces are committed to protecting our territorial integrity and will continue to thwart any attempt made on it. I am confident that this entire House will stand united in supporting our soldiers in their brave effort,” he added.
Meanwhile, Singh’s statement could not silence the opposition as they walked out from floor of the houses to mark their protest. The opposition parties said that there should be discussion over the issues and mere a statement is not enough. Many parties demanded that all other parliament business be on hold for a threadbare discussion on the India-China border issue.
