Not 1962 anymore: Khandu
ITANAGAR, 13 Dec: Following reports of intrusion into Indian territory by the Chinese army on 9 December, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that “it’s not 1962 anymore,” referring to the 1962 Sino-India war which saw China’s PLA inside Arunachal.
On 13 December, Khandu tweeted: “Yangtse is under my assembly constituency & every year I meet the jawans & villagers of the area. It’s not 1962 anymore. If anyone tries to transgress, our brave soldiers will give a befitting reply.”
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament on Tuesday that the Indian troops bravely thwarted the attempt by Chinese PLA from “unilaterally” changing the status in Yangtse area of the Tawang sector and there were no fatalities or serious casualties to the Indian troops in the scuffle.
“On 9 December, PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in the 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,” Singh said.
“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,” he said.
Meanwhile, China on Tuesday said the situation was “generally stable” along its border with India, days after the troops of the two countries clashed in the Tawang sector, resulting in minor injuries to some soldiers on both sides.
At a media briefing in Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also said that the two sides have maintained smooth communication on border-related issues through diplomatic and military channels.
Wenbin, however, declined to provide details of the 9 December clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers.
Several Congress MPs demanded a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the situation at the border.
The Congress MPs gave adjournment notices in both houses of Parliament to discuss the border situation with China.
Incident at LAC will affect India-China relations: Gao
Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal East constituency, Tapir Gao said that “border incidents” like the one that happened between India and China along the LAC in the Tawang sector will hamper relations between the two countries.
“I was hurt when I heard about the 9 December incident. I condemn this. If PLA continues doing such things in the future, India-China relations will suffer,” Gao said in a video message on Monday.
Such border incidents are bad for the relations between the two countries. The governments of India and China should work on making the relations better, said Gao.
Following media reports of the skirmishes on 9 December, the Indian Army issued a statement on 12 December that on 9 December, “PLA troops contacted the LAC in Tawang sector, which was contested by own (Indian) troops in a firm and resolute manner. This face-off led to minor injuries to few personnel from both sides.”
“Both sides immediately disengaged from the area. As a follow-up of the incident, own (Indian) commander in the area held a flag meeting with his counterpart to discuss the issue in accordance with structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquillity,” it said. (With PTI inputs)
