News Analysis India

Tag: Arunachal Border Clash

  • Incursions along Indo-Tibet border are by China, says Tibetan govt-in-exile

    By PTI

    KOLKATA:  Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong or President of the Tibetan Government-in-exile Tuesday asserted that all incursions along the Indo-Tibetan border have been one-sided and by China.

    In an interview with PTI, the President said since Tibet had signed the treaty of 1914 which set the border between his homeland and India along the McMohan line, Tawang was an integral part of India.

    “We know incursions are happening all from the Chinese side,” Tsering said here. He was speaking in the context of recent clashes at Tawang and at Ladakh between the Indian Army and China’s PLA.

    “Till 1959, there was no border between India and China; it was with Tibet. We are signatories to the 1914 Simla agreement and we recognise the McMohan line as the legitimate border,” he said.

    The Sikyong or President is directly elected by the Tibetan diaspora living in various parts of the world ever since Tibetan refugees fled the “roof of the world” in the wake of the Dalai Lama’s escape from Lhasa to India.

    “China’s belligerence is without any provocation from the Indian side,” the President said, adding that “India standing up to its position sends a very strong message to China.”

    He pointed out that China has disputes with many Asian countries and has been unwilling to settle them.

    “When it comes to US-China relations, they (the Chinese) complain they are not treated as equals but when it comes to other countries in Asia,” they never treat them equally, Tsering asserted.

    He claimed China has a policy of keeping hot spots like Taiwan and Tawang burning in order to divert attention to its own failings.

    He said that China had not been successful in keeping its economic momentum up and had not been able to control the Covid situation at home. “Now that the whole world has recovered, they want to export Covid again,” Tsering said.

    ALSO READ| China didn’t observe agreements with India, tried to ‘unilaterally change’ LAC: Jaishankar

    KOLKATA:  Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong or President of the Tibetan Government-in-exile Tuesday asserted that all incursions along the Indo-Tibetan border have been one-sided and by China.

    In an interview with PTI, the President said since Tibet had signed the treaty of 1914 which set the border between his homeland and India along the McMohan line, Tawang was an integral part of India.

    “We know incursions are happening all from the Chinese side,” Tsering said here. He was speaking in the context of recent clashes at Tawang and at Ladakh between the Indian Army and China’s PLA.

    “Till 1959, there was no border between India and China; it was with Tibet. We are signatories to the 1914 Simla agreement and we recognise the McMohan line as the legitimate border,” he said.

    The Sikyong or President is directly elected by the Tibetan diaspora living in various parts of the world ever since Tibetan refugees fled the “roof of the world” in the wake of the Dalai Lama’s escape from Lhasa to India.

    “China’s belligerence is without any provocation from the Indian side,” the President said, adding that “India standing up to its position sends a very strong message to China.”

    He pointed out that China has disputes with many Asian countries and has been unwilling to settle them.

    “When it comes to US-China relations, they (the Chinese) complain they are not treated as equals but when it comes to other countries in Asia,” they never treat them equally, Tsering asserted.

    He claimed China has a policy of keeping hot spots like Taiwan and Tawang burning in order to divert attention to its own failings.

    He said that China had not been successful in keeping its economic momentum up and had not been able to control the Covid situation at home. “Now that the whole world has recovered, they want to export Covid again,” Tsering said.

    ALSO READ| China didn’t observe agreements with India, tried to ‘unilaterally change’ LAC: Jaishankar

  • Ties with China not normal, India won’t agree to any attempt to change LAC: Jaishankar

    By PTI

    NICOSIA: India will not agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control (LAC) unilaterally by China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, as he underlined that New Delhi’s relations with Beijing are “not normal” and there would be no compromise on core issues.

    Addressing the Indian community in Cyprus on Friday during his first official visit to this Mediterranean country, Jaishankar, in a veiled attack on Pakistan, also said that terrorism cannot be used as a tool to force India to the negotiating table.

    Jaishankar said India has challenges on its borders, which intensified during the Covid period.

    “Today the state of our relations with China is not very normal because we will never agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control unilaterally,” he said.

    There will be no “compromise on the core issue” of national security, Jaishankar asserted.

    Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 and the face-off resulted in “minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides”, according to the Indian Army.

    It is the first major clash between the Indian and Chinese armies since the fierce face-off in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

    The ties between the two countries froze since then with India making it clear that peace and tranquillity at the border is the sine qua non for the overall development of bilateral ties.

    The two countries have held 17 rounds of talks so far to resolve the standoff.

    In his speech, Jaishankar said no country has suffered from terrorism as much as India. “We want good neighbourly relations with everybody. But good neighbourly relations doesn’t mean excusing or looking away or rationalising terrorism. That we are very clear,” he said without naming any country.

    “We will never normalise it. We will never allow terrorism to force us to the negotiating table,” he said.

    Relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

    INTERVIEW| ‘China will create trouble at sensitive points’, says army veteran Sudhakar Jee

    NICOSIA: India will not agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control (LAC) unilaterally by China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, as he underlined that New Delhi’s relations with Beijing are “not normal” and there would be no compromise on core issues.

    Addressing the Indian community in Cyprus on Friday during his first official visit to this Mediterranean country, Jaishankar, in a veiled attack on Pakistan, also said that terrorism cannot be used as a tool to force India to the negotiating table.

    Jaishankar said India has challenges on its borders, which intensified during the Covid period.

    “Today the state of our relations with China is not very normal because we will never agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control unilaterally,” he said.

    There will be no “compromise on the core issue” of national security, Jaishankar asserted.

    Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 and the face-off resulted in “minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides”, according to the Indian Army.

    It is the first major clash between the Indian and Chinese armies since the fierce face-off in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

    The ties between the two countries froze since then with India making it clear that peace and tranquillity at the border is the sine qua non for the overall development of bilateral ties.

    The two countries have held 17 rounds of talks so far to resolve the standoff.

    In his speech, Jaishankar said no country has suffered from terrorism as much as India. “We want good neighbourly relations with everybody. But good neighbourly relations doesn’t mean excusing or looking away or rationalising terrorism. That we are very clear,” he said without naming any country.

    “We will never normalise it. We will never allow terrorism to force us to the negotiating table,” he said.

    Relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

    INTERVIEW| ‘China will create trouble at sensitive points’, says army veteran Sudhakar Jee

  • Why imperil national security for sake of your vanity: Congress questions PM on China

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday posed a set of five questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on China and asked why he has imperilled national security for the sake of his vanity.

    The opposition party also asked whether his obsession with image-building has come at the expense of national interests and why has his personalised diplomacy proven to be utterly hollow.

    In a statement, Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh said he had earlier asked a set of seven questions to the prime minister on China and another set of five questions on December 18, but no answers have been forthcoming.

    “We asked the PM the first set of 7 questions on China on 17.12.22. As expected, no answers were forthcoming, and it was followed by a second set of 5 questions on 18.12.22. Here’s the third set of 5 questions to the PM for which the nation is asking and demanding answers from him,” he said on Twitter.

    The Congress leader said many have pointed out how “afraid the prime minister is” in taking the name of the country’s chief adversary — China — and referred to what Kenneth Juster, who was the US Ambassador to India from 2017 to 2021, said: “far from naming China, your government asked the US not to mention China’s border aggression in its statements.”

    “Would it not have been better to rally international opinion to our side? Why have you imperilled our national security for the sake of your vanity,” Ramesh said.

    “For the sake of your domestic image, you have thrown your effort into personalised diplomacy and projecting strong relationships with major world leaders. With your ‘friend’ President Xi Jinping you sat in a swing in Ahmedabad, shared cups of tea in Wuhan and shook hands in Bali,” he said.

    “As recently as October 2019 you met Xi again and declared that ‘Chennai Vision is the start of a new era in India-China relations’ and added that ‘strategic communications between both the sides have increased’. Six months later the Chinese were communicating their strategic intent, from Depsang to Demchok, while you remained in complete denial. Has your personalised diplomacy not been proven to be utterly hollow? Has your obsession with image-building come at the expense of the national interest,” the Congress leader asked.

    ALSO READ | Govt blocking debate on China, Weakening judiciary: Sonia Gandhi

    Ramesh also said that some time ago the prime minister coined a new slogan “Inch towards Miles” in which “Inch” stood for “India-China” and “Miles” for “Millennium of Exceptional Energy.”

    Then, the country saw the Chinese exert exceptional energy to take over thousands of square miles of its territory in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, he alleged and asked, “Would you agree that your naiveté and bad judgment cost the nation dearly?” He also asked if it was true that when the senior officers of all three armed services assembled at the Combined Commanders’ Conference on INS Vikramaditya in 2015 told the prime minister that they all considered China to be India’s prime military threat, he replied: “I believe that China is not a military threat at all to India.”

    “Does this not reflect a level of delusion and overconfidence against all the available evidence,” the Congress leader asked.

    “The Chinese incursions in early 2020 were a strategic surprise that caught us unprepared. The last time we faced a comparable military surprise was in Kargil in 1999. Why do BJP governments that cloak themselves with ‘nationalism’ so often fall victim to such surprises? Could it be that they are more interested in politicking and attacking the Opposition than ensuring the safety of the country? When will we have an accounting of the China surprise as we did following the Kargil war,” Ramesh questioned.

    The Opposition has been seeking a discussion in Parliament on the border situation with China but the government has not agreed to it terming the issue very sensitive.

    Insisting on its demand for a discussion, the Opposition has been causing disruptions in Parliament ever since the start of the Winter Session on December 7 and has been staging walkouts.

    ALSO READ | China preparing for war, Indian government asleep: Rahul Gandhi

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday posed a set of five questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on China and asked why he has imperilled national security for the sake of his vanity.

    The opposition party also asked whether his obsession with image-building has come at the expense of national interests and why has his personalised diplomacy proven to be utterly hollow.

    In a statement, Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh said he had earlier asked a set of seven questions to the prime minister on China and another set of five questions on December 18, but no answers have been forthcoming.

    “We asked the PM the first set of 7 questions on China on 17.12.22. As expected, no answers were forthcoming, and it was followed by a second set of 5 questions on 18.12.22. Here’s the third set of 5 questions to the PM for which the nation is asking and demanding answers from him,” he said on Twitter.

    The Congress leader said many have pointed out how “afraid the prime minister is” in taking the name of the country’s chief adversary — China — and referred to what Kenneth Juster, who was the US Ambassador to India from 2017 to 2021, said: “far from naming China, your government asked the US not to mention China’s border aggression in its statements.”

    “Would it not have been better to rally international opinion to our side? Why have you imperilled our national security for the sake of your vanity,” Ramesh said.

    “For the sake of your domestic image, you have thrown your effort into personalised diplomacy and projecting strong relationships with major world leaders. With your ‘friend’ President Xi Jinping you sat in a swing in Ahmedabad, shared cups of tea in Wuhan and shook hands in Bali,” he said.

    “As recently as October 2019 you met Xi again and declared that ‘Chennai Vision is the start of a new era in India-China relations’ and added that ‘strategic communications between both the sides have increased’. Six months later the Chinese were communicating their strategic intent, from Depsang to Demchok, while you remained in complete denial. Has your personalised diplomacy not been proven to be utterly hollow? Has your obsession with image-building come at the expense of the national interest,” the Congress leader asked.

    ALSO READ | Govt blocking debate on China, Weakening judiciary: Sonia Gandhi

    Ramesh also said that some time ago the prime minister coined a new slogan “Inch towards Miles” in which “Inch” stood for “India-China” and “Miles” for “Millennium of Exceptional Energy.”

    Then, the country saw the Chinese exert exceptional energy to take over thousands of square miles of its territory in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, he alleged and asked, “Would you agree that your naiveté and bad judgment cost the nation dearly?” He also asked if it was true that when the senior officers of all three armed services assembled at the Combined Commanders’ Conference on INS Vikramaditya in 2015 told the prime minister that they all considered China to be India’s prime military threat, he replied: “I believe that China is not a military threat at all to India.”

    “Does this not reflect a level of delusion and overconfidence against all the available evidence,” the Congress leader asked.

    “The Chinese incursions in early 2020 were a strategic surprise that caught us unprepared. The last time we faced a comparable military surprise was in Kargil in 1999. Why do BJP governments that cloak themselves with ‘nationalism’ so often fall victim to such surprises? Could it be that they are more interested in politicking and attacking the Opposition than ensuring the safety of the country? When will we have an accounting of the China surprise as we did following the Kargil war,” Ramesh questioned.

    The Opposition has been seeking a discussion in Parliament on the border situation with China but the government has not agreed to it terming the issue very sensitive.

    Insisting on its demand for a discussion, the Opposition has been causing disruptions in Parliament ever since the start of the Winter Session on December 7 and has been staging walkouts.

    ALSO READ | China preparing for war, Indian government asleep: Rahul Gandhi

  • Army will not let China change status quo along LAC ‘unilaterally’: Jaishankar

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI:  Indian Army will not let China change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) “unilaterally” and its current deployment along the frontier was not seen before, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday, rejecting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the government’s handling of the border row.

    Jaishankar said the deployment of the Army was made on the orders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Army did not go to the frontier region because Gandhi asked them for it.

    “Today we have a deployment of the Indian Army on the China border that we have never had. It is done in order to counter Chinese deployment which was scaled up massively since 2020,” Jaishankar said.

    He was replying to a question during India Today’s India-Japan conclave.

    “If we were in denial then how is the Army out there? The Army did not go there because Rahul Gandhi asked them to go. Army went there because the prime minister of India ordered them to go,” Jaishankar said, replying to Gandhi’s allegations that the government was hiding the fact that China took Indian territory along the LAC.

    The Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a fresh clash in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9. The incident came amid the over 30-month border standoff in eastern Ladakh.

    ALSO READ | Accused of altering status quo, Beijing downplays Arunachal border clash 

    “People will say things; they may not be credible, they may sometimes contradict their own positions, their own behaviour. All that could happen. But the fact is what is finally the proof of the pudding? The proof of the pudding is that the Indian Army is deployed today to counter any attempt to unilaterally change the LAC,” Jaishankar said.

    The external affairs minister said it is the commitment of the Indian Army to not let China change the LAC unilaterally.

    “I am saying that it is the obligation of the Indian state and that is the duty and commitment of the Indian military that we will not let any country, and in this case, China, change the LAC unilaterally,” Jaishankar said.

    “I think it is fairly obvious and most people in the country see that. You can make your polemical points. I think people will treat it as politics,” he added.

    Asked about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s criticism of the government for increasing trade volume with China notwithstanding the border row, he said that India continues to import from that country because there was no adequate focus on the manufacturing sector.

    Jaishankar said not much attention was given to the MSME sector and building supply chains as well after India opened up its economy in 1991.

    “When somebody says why imports are coming out of China, there are imports coming out of China because, for 30 years, you did not give your industry the kind of support and protection you should have,” Jaishankar said.

    “It is only now in recent years that you have started to do it. Now you cannot reverse in five or 10 years what you have done in 30 years,” he said.

    Speaking at the conclave, Jaishankar made 12 points about India-Japan ties and said the two countries have a “positive history” that will be an asset in the coming times.

    He said Japan is perceived in India as a model of harmonising modernity and tradition, adding there is a strong national consensus in India on developing ties with that country.

    “Traditionally, this was an economic relationship. In the past, global strategy had little impact on India-Japan ties,” he said.

    “Businesses have long had a footprint in each other’s economy. But, this did not become a deep one. Japan started approaching India with a strategic outlook under former PM Shinzo Abe,” he said.

    Jaishankar said Japan has been a catalyst of “change” and referred to Maruti bringing a lifestyle shift and Metro networks, an urbanization experience. “Bullet Train will have major consequences,” he said.

    Japan has been significantly supporting the Delhi Metro network. “Our strategic compulsions are much stronger today as we are united to secure a multipolar Asia. And to ensure that Asian diversity is reflected in its power structure,” the minister said.

    He noted that the maritime convergence between India and Japan is particularly strong and will grow in the years ahead. “The energy of the Quad will charge up our bilateral ties and reinforce them for mutual benefit,” he said, adding the big question is whether Japan will see India’s growth as a strategic goal.

    NEW DELHI:  Indian Army will not let China change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) “unilaterally” and its current deployment along the frontier was not seen before, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday, rejecting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the government’s handling of the border row.

    Jaishankar said the deployment of the Army was made on the orders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Army did not go to the frontier region because Gandhi asked them for it.

    “Today we have a deployment of the Indian Army on the China border that we have never had. It is done in order to counter Chinese deployment which was scaled up massively since 2020,” Jaishankar said.

    He was replying to a question during India Today’s India-Japan conclave.

    “If we were in denial then how is the Army out there? The Army did not go there because Rahul Gandhi asked them to go. Army went there because the prime minister of India ordered them to go,” Jaishankar said, replying to Gandhi’s allegations that the government was hiding the fact that China took Indian territory along the LAC.

    The Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a fresh clash in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9. The incident came amid the over 30-month border standoff in eastern Ladakh.

    ALSO READ | Accused of altering status quo, Beijing downplays Arunachal border clash 

    “People will say things; they may not be credible, they may sometimes contradict their own positions, their own behaviour. All that could happen. But the fact is what is finally the proof of the pudding? The proof of the pudding is that the Indian Army is deployed today to counter any attempt to unilaterally change the LAC,” Jaishankar said.

    The external affairs minister said it is the commitment of the Indian Army to not let China change the LAC unilaterally.

    “I am saying that it is the obligation of the Indian state and that is the duty and commitment of the Indian military that we will not let any country, and in this case, China, change the LAC unilaterally,” Jaishankar said.

    “I think it is fairly obvious and most people in the country see that. You can make your polemical points. I think people will treat it as politics,” he added.

    Asked about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s criticism of the government for increasing trade volume with China notwithstanding the border row, he said that India continues to import from that country because there was no adequate focus on the manufacturing sector.

    Jaishankar said not much attention was given to the MSME sector and building supply chains as well after India opened up its economy in 1991.

    “When somebody says why imports are coming out of China, there are imports coming out of China because, for 30 years, you did not give your industry the kind of support and protection you should have,” Jaishankar said.

    “It is only now in recent years that you have started to do it. Now you cannot reverse in five or 10 years what you have done in 30 years,” he said.

    Speaking at the conclave, Jaishankar made 12 points about India-Japan ties and said the two countries have a “positive history” that will be an asset in the coming times.

    He said Japan is perceived in India as a model of harmonising modernity and tradition, adding there is a strong national consensus in India on developing ties with that country.

    “Traditionally, this was an economic relationship. In the past, global strategy had little impact on India-Japan ties,” he said.

    “Businesses have long had a footprint in each other’s economy. But, this did not become a deep one. Japan started approaching India with a strategic outlook under former PM Shinzo Abe,” he said.

    Jaishankar said Japan has been a catalyst of “change” and referred to Maruti bringing a lifestyle shift and Metro networks, an urbanization experience. “Bullet Train will have major consequences,” he said.

    Japan has been significantly supporting the Delhi Metro network. “Our strategic compulsions are much stronger today as we are united to secure a multipolar Asia. And to ensure that Asian diversity is reflected in its power structure,” the minister said.

    He noted that the maritime convergence between India and Japan is particularly strong and will grow in the years ahead. “The energy of the Quad will charge up our bilateral ties and reinforce them for mutual benefit,” he said, adding the big question is whether Japan will see India’s growth as a strategic goal.

  • BJP govt ‘talks like a lion, acts like a mouse’: Congress chief Kharge on border face-off

    By PTI

    ALWAR (Rajasthan): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday alleged that the BJP government “talks like a lion but acts like a mouse” as it is not taking on China for indulging in incursions along the border and is running away from a debate on the issue in Parliament.

    Speaking at a rally in Rajasthan’s Alwar on the sidelines of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he also claimed that while the Congress stood for the country, helped attain Independence and its leaders gave supreme sacrifices, the BJP people “did not even lose a dog” for the country.

    The 80-year-old leader said when Rahul Gandhi talked about the border dispute with China at a presser recently, BJP leaders raised the matter alleging that he was trying to break the country and that he has no respect for Indian soldiers The Modi government claims that they are very strong, it pats itself on the back claiming no one can look into its eyes, but disputes and clashes are rising at the border, Kharge said.

    “After 20 of our soldiers were martyred at the border in Galwan, Modi ji met the Chinese president 18 times. They held meetings and even enjoyed swings. After all this, why is this happening at the border with China?” he said.

    Kharge said he again raised the issue of China in Parliament on Monday and wanted a discussion on the border situation, but the BJP government is not ready for it.

    ALSO READ | China preparing for war, Indian government asleep: Rahul Gandhi

    “They (BJP government) talk like a lion outwardly, but if you see they act like a mouse. We want that the issue be discussed and give notices, but they are still not ready for a discussion in Parliament,” he said.

    This government talks loudly, but is only destroying democracy, he alleged.

    “Every day the rights of the autonomous bodies are being taken away. ED, CBI, and CVC are trying to scare everyone by misusing their powers. They are also trying to scare the Congress people, but we will never be scared,” he said.

    The Congress got the country Independence, and several of our leaders, including Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, gave sacrifices, Kharge said.

    “Has even your dog at home died for the country? Still, they claim to be patriots and if we say something we are termed as deshdrohi (anti-nationals),” the Congress chief said.

    Kharge said it was surprising that his party’s demand for a discussion on the Chinese incursions at the border was not allowed. “They said there is no need for a discussion.”

    “Defence Minister Rajnath Singh came and gave a one-page statement and left. But we needed a discussion on what is happening with China, what the government is doing and what is the state of our border and soldiers. We are with the country for national security, and we will all together protect the country. But why are you hiding and running away from a discussion over China,” he said, adding that the Congress is only seeking information on what is happening.

    ALSO READ | Accused of altering status quo, Beijing downplays Arunachal border clash 

    Today this BJP government does not think about the farmers, he alleged and reminded the ruling party of its promise of doubling the farmers’ income. “Farmers were crushed to death by the home minister’s son under a jeep, no action is taken, inflation has increased so much today,” he said.

    Unemployment has skyrocketed while 30 lakh government posts are lying vacant in the country, Kharge said. “By giving a letter of 71,000 jobs, do event management, but 30 lakh jobs are vacant in the public sector. Why are you not filling them up? They (BJP) want to keep the poor while making their friends richer,” the Congress president said.

    He also exuded confidence that Congress would win the 2024 general elections, citing the affection the Rahul Gandhi-led yatra is getting.

    Kharge also accused the BJP of dividing the people of the country on lines of religion, caste and region and alleged that it is ending democracy and autonomy of constitutional institutions. “That is why Rahul Gandhi is holding the Bharat Jodo Yatra and is trying to unite everyone,” he claimed.

    Earlier in the day, Kharge raised the issue of the border conflict with China in the Rajya Sabha and demanded a discussion on the issue.

    “China is illegally encroaching upon our borders. Satellite imagery shows that they are building divisional headquarters, army garrison and weapon shelters for artillery. Why is the Modi government shying away from ‘China pe charcha’?” he asked on Twitter.

    China is illegally encroaching upon our borders.Satellite imagery shows that they are building divisional headquarters, army garrison and weapon shelters for artillery.Why is the Modi Govt shying away from ‘CHINA PE CHARCHA’ ? pic.twitter.com/2HRLndXM0Y
    — Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha (@LoPIndia) December 19, 2022

    ALWAR (Rajasthan): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday alleged that the BJP government “talks like a lion but acts like a mouse” as it is not taking on China for indulging in incursions along the border and is running away from a debate on the issue in Parliament.

    Speaking at a rally in Rajasthan’s Alwar on the sidelines of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he also claimed that while the Congress stood for the country, helped attain Independence and its leaders gave supreme sacrifices, the BJP people “did not even lose a dog” for the country.

    The 80-year-old leader said when Rahul Gandhi talked about the border dispute with China at a presser recently, BJP leaders raised the matter alleging that he was trying to break the country and that he has no respect for Indian soldiers The Modi government claims that they are very strong, it pats itself on the back claiming no one can look into its eyes, but disputes and clashes are rising at the border, Kharge said.

    “After 20 of our soldiers were martyred at the border in Galwan, Modi ji met the Chinese president 18 times. They held meetings and even enjoyed swings. After all this, why is this happening at the border with China?” he said.

    Kharge said he again raised the issue of China in Parliament on Monday and wanted a discussion on the border situation, but the BJP government is not ready for it.

    ALSO READ | China preparing for war, Indian government asleep: Rahul Gandhi

    “They (BJP government) talk like a lion outwardly, but if you see they act like a mouse. We want that the issue be discussed and give notices, but they are still not ready for a discussion in Parliament,” he said.

    This government talks loudly, but is only destroying democracy, he alleged.

    “Every day the rights of the autonomous bodies are being taken away. ED, CBI, and CVC are trying to scare everyone by misusing their powers. They are also trying to scare the Congress people, but we will never be scared,” he said.

    The Congress got the country Independence, and several of our leaders, including Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, gave sacrifices, Kharge said.

    “Has even your dog at home died for the country? Still, they claim to be patriots and if we say something we are termed as deshdrohi (anti-nationals),” the Congress chief said.

    Kharge said it was surprising that his party’s demand for a discussion on the Chinese incursions at the border was not allowed. “They said there is no need for a discussion.”

    “Defence Minister Rajnath Singh came and gave a one-page statement and left. But we needed a discussion on what is happening with China, what the government is doing and what is the state of our border and soldiers. We are with the country for national security, and we will all together protect the country. But why are you hiding and running away from a discussion over China,” he said, adding that the Congress is only seeking information on what is happening.

    ALSO READ | Accused of altering status quo, Beijing downplays Arunachal border clash 

    Today this BJP government does not think about the farmers, he alleged and reminded the ruling party of its promise of doubling the farmers’ income. “Farmers were crushed to death by the home minister’s son under a jeep, no action is taken, inflation has increased so much today,” he said.

    Unemployment has skyrocketed while 30 lakh government posts are lying vacant in the country, Kharge said. “By giving a letter of 71,000 jobs, do event management, but 30 lakh jobs are vacant in the public sector. Why are you not filling them up? They (BJP) want to keep the poor while making their friends richer,” the Congress president said.

    He also exuded confidence that Congress would win the 2024 general elections, citing the affection the Rahul Gandhi-led yatra is getting.

    Kharge also accused the BJP of dividing the people of the country on lines of religion, caste and region and alleged that it is ending democracy and autonomy of constitutional institutions. “That is why Rahul Gandhi is holding the Bharat Jodo Yatra and is trying to unite everyone,” he claimed.

    Earlier in the day, Kharge raised the issue of the border conflict with China in the Rajya Sabha and demanded a discussion on the issue.

    “China is illegally encroaching upon our borders. Satellite imagery shows that they are building divisional headquarters, army garrison and weapon shelters for artillery. Why is the Modi government shying away from ‘China pe charcha’?” he asked on Twitter.

    China is illegally encroaching upon our borders.
    Satellite imagery shows that they are building divisional headquarters, army garrison and weapon shelters for artillery.
    Why is the Modi Govt shying away from ‘CHINA PE CHARCHA’ ? pic.twitter.com/2HRLndXM0Y
    — Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha (@LoPIndia) December 19, 2022

  • Rahul speaking language of China, Pak, claims Nadda; BJP seeks his expulsion from Congress

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: In an all-out attack on Rahul Gandhi for his remark that Chinese soldiers are beating up Indian Army personnel in Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP said on Saturday that the Congress should expel him from the party as its president J P Nadda accused him of speaking the language of China and Pakistan.

    “This underlines the question marks about his patriotism. He had also questioned surgical strikes and Balakot air strikes. It is a reflection of his mental bankruptcy,” Nadda said as a number of senior party leaders seized on the former Congress president’s comments to target the opposition party which is seeking some sort of political revival with Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

    At its official briefing, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said if Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is not “remote-controlled” and if the opposition party stands with the country, then Gandhi should be expelled for his comments as they “belittle” India and break the morale of its armed forces.

    Bhatia likened Gandhi to Jaichand, the king of Kannauj who is projected as a betrayer to the Indian cause in some historical accounts, and alleged that he has constantly tried to break the armed forces’ morale, be it after the surgical and air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan or after the Galwan valley clashes, in which 20 soldiers had laid down their lives.

    While Gandhi allegedly sought evidence of the armed forces’ strikes on terrorists inside Pakistan, he called the prime minister “Surender Modi” after the Galwan fight, the BJP leader said.

    The Congress leader should tender an apology to the country for his statement, he said.

    His sin will not be washed away with the apology but it will at least demonstrate that he has realised his mistake, he said.

    At a press conference in Jaipur on Friday during his “Bharat Jodo Yatra”, Gandhi claimed that China is preparing for war and accused the government of trying to “ignore” the threat, saying it is “asleep” and not ready to accept the situation.

    In an apparent reference to a recent clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh, he said Indian jawans in the region are being “beaten up”.

    Nadda said no amount of condemnation of Gandhi’s statement will be enough and added that Indian armed forces symbolise courage and valour.

    He noted that the Congress, when it was in power, had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Communist Party and that the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had received funding from the Chinese embassy here.

    “Probably, this is the reason that Rahul Gandhi speaks the language of China and Pakistan,” he said, adding that Gandhi was “secretly” meeting Chinese officials at their embassy in New Delhi when Indian and Chinese soldiers faced off in Doklam.

    Union minister Anurag Thakur said he was not surprised by Gandhi’s statement as even at the time of the Doklam incident he was seen drinking soup with Chinese officials.

    “When Indian soldiers carried out the surgical strikes, even then he raised questions. He and Congress seem to have no faith in the Indian Army. But we have full faith in our army. Today our army is capable of conducting surgical strikes and gives a befitting reply to the encroachers,” he said.

    Union minister Kiren Rijiju said Gandhi has not only insulted the Army but also damaged the country’s image.

    “He is not only a problem for the Congress Party but he has also become a huge embarrassment to the country. We are proud of our Armed Forces,” the MP from Arunachal tweeted.

    Bhatia told reporters that if Congress does not act against Gandhi, who continues to be seen as its main driving force, it will mean that his statement is reflective of the opposition party’s mindset.

    The Congress has become less of a political party and more of a den of anti-India activities, the BJP leader alleged. Bhatia said it was the Indian soldiers who beat up the Chinese and chased them away, and that every citizen of the country is proud of them.

    “Why is Rahul Gandhi, India’s Jaichand, working to break the morale of our brave soldiers?” he asked.

    While every Indian is happy when the country’s soldiers demonstrate their valour, its enemies and the Congress suffer a lot of pain, he said. “It is no longer the India of 1962 as its brave soldiers also have a strong political leadership under Narendra Modi,” Bhatia asserted.

    Not even an inch of Indian territory was captured by anyone in the last more than eight years, he claimed. No one can dare India, he said, adding that the country is now showing the way to the world.

    Bhatia cited a reply in Parliament by the previous Congress government that China had grabbed more than 43,180 square kilometres of Indian territory and noted that this had happened under its rule.

    Hitting out at the opposition party, he referred to its agreement when it was in power with the Chinese Communist Party and said it should make its content public.

    It seems it is part of the agreement that the Congress will never condemn China, he said, claiming that the party will be betraying the country by not sharing its details.

    NEW DELHI: In an all-out attack on Rahul Gandhi for his remark that Chinese soldiers are beating up Indian Army personnel in Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP said on Saturday that the Congress should expel him from the party as its president J P Nadda accused him of speaking the language of China and Pakistan.

    “This underlines the question marks about his patriotism. He had also questioned surgical strikes and Balakot air strikes. It is a reflection of his mental bankruptcy,” Nadda said as a number of senior party leaders seized on the former Congress president’s comments to target the opposition party which is seeking some sort of political revival with Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

    At its official briefing, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said if Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is not “remote-controlled” and if the opposition party stands with the country, then Gandhi should be expelled for his comments as they “belittle” India and break the morale of its armed forces.

    Bhatia likened Gandhi to Jaichand, the king of Kannauj who is projected as a betrayer to the Indian cause in some historical accounts, and alleged that he has constantly tried to break the armed forces’ morale, be it after the surgical and air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan or after the Galwan valley clashes, in which 20 soldiers had laid down their lives.

    While Gandhi allegedly sought evidence of the armed forces’ strikes on terrorists inside Pakistan, he called the prime minister “Surender Modi” after the Galwan fight, the BJP leader said.

    The Congress leader should tender an apology to the country for his statement, he said.

    His sin will not be washed away with the apology but it will at least demonstrate that he has realised his mistake, he said.

    At a press conference in Jaipur on Friday during his “Bharat Jodo Yatra”, Gandhi claimed that China is preparing for war and accused the government of trying to “ignore” the threat, saying it is “asleep” and not ready to accept the situation.

    In an apparent reference to a recent clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh, he said Indian jawans in the region are being “beaten up”.

    Nadda said no amount of condemnation of Gandhi’s statement will be enough and added that Indian armed forces symbolise courage and valour.

    He noted that the Congress, when it was in power, had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Communist Party and that the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had received funding from the Chinese embassy here.

    “Probably, this is the reason that Rahul Gandhi speaks the language of China and Pakistan,” he said, adding that Gandhi was “secretly” meeting Chinese officials at their embassy in New Delhi when Indian and Chinese soldiers faced off in Doklam.

    Union minister Anurag Thakur said he was not surprised by Gandhi’s statement as even at the time of the Doklam incident he was seen drinking soup with Chinese officials.

    “When Indian soldiers carried out the surgical strikes, even then he raised questions. He and Congress seem to have no faith in the Indian Army. But we have full faith in our army. Today our army is capable of conducting surgical strikes and gives a befitting reply to the encroachers,” he said.

    Union minister Kiren Rijiju said Gandhi has not only insulted the Army but also damaged the country’s image.

    “He is not only a problem for the Congress Party but he has also become a huge embarrassment to the country. We are proud of our Armed Forces,” the MP from Arunachal tweeted.

    Bhatia told reporters that if Congress does not act against Gandhi, who continues to be seen as its main driving force, it will mean that his statement is reflective of the opposition party’s mindset.

    The Congress has become less of a political party and more of a den of anti-India activities, the BJP leader alleged. Bhatia said it was the Indian soldiers who beat up the Chinese and chased them away, and that every citizen of the country is proud of them.

    “Why is Rahul Gandhi, India’s Jaichand, working to break the morale of our brave soldiers?” he asked.

    While every Indian is happy when the country’s soldiers demonstrate their valour, its enemies and the Congress suffer a lot of pain, he said. “It is no longer the India of 1962 as its brave soldiers also have a strong political leadership under Narendra Modi,” Bhatia asserted.

    Not even an inch of Indian territory was captured by anyone in the last more than eight years, he claimed. No one can dare India, he said, adding that the country is now showing the way to the world.

    Bhatia cited a reply in Parliament by the previous Congress government that China had grabbed more than 43,180 square kilometres of Indian territory and noted that this had happened under its rule.

    Hitting out at the opposition party, he referred to its agreement when it was in power with the Chinese Communist Party and said it should make its content public.

    It seems it is part of the agreement that the Congress will never condemn China, he said, claiming that the party will be betraying the country by not sharing its details.

  • India blames China of trying to alter ‘status quo’, Beijing downplays Arunachal border clash

    By Online Desk

    The tumultuous Sino-India border has witnessed a new border clash between the Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army.

    The Indian army on Monday revealed that both troops clashed near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along the Arunachal Pradesh border in the Tawang sector, leaving at least six Indian soldiers injured.  

    The tussle arose, on Dec. 09, 2022, after Chinese troops converged near the LAC prompting Indian troops to contest the action in a “resolute” manner.   Indian media reports quoted unnamed sources as saying that the incident involved around 300 members of China’s People’s Liberation Army and that China suffered a greater number of injuries.

    WATCH:

    The latest border tussle comes at a time when the bilateral ties between the nuclear giants are at rock bottom in the aftermath of the Galwan Valley clash, in June 2020, leaving at least 20 Indian soldiers and four PLA troops killed.

    China and India fought a full-scale war in 1962 over control of Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims in its entirety and considers part of Tibet.

    What does India say?

    India has accused China of trying to “unilaterally change the status quo” on their disputed Himalayan border last week when clashes left troops on both sides injured.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed the parliament that Indian and Chinese troops engaged in the fresh confrontation on December 9 in Arunachal Pradesh.

    “On 09 December 2022, PLA troops attempted to unilaterally change the status quo by encroaching on the Line of Actual Control, in the Yangtse area of the Tawang sector,” Singh said, referring to China’s People’s Liberation Army and the de-facto border.

    The face-off, which followed recent joint US-India military exercises near the border that angered Beijing, led to “injuries to soldiers on both sides,” Singh added.

    “A scuffle ensued in this face-off. The Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from encroaching on our territory and forced them to withdraw to their posts. Some soldiers from both sides were injured in the skirmish.”

    What does China say?

    In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that he believed the situation was now calm but gave no details of what happened or whether Chinese troops were injured.

    “As far as we understand, the China-India border situation is stable overall,” Wang said, adding the two sides “maintained unobstructed dialogue on the border issue through diplomatic and military channels.”

    He added: “It is hoped that the Indian side will advance in the same direction as China, earnestly implement the important consensus reached by both leaders, strictly abide by the spirit of the agreements and accords signed by both sides, (and) together uphold the peace and tranquillity of the China-India border region.”

    US-India exercises

    Since the deadly hand-to-hand battle in 2020, both sides have sent thousands of troops to bolster the border. Multiple rounds of talks have failed to substantially ease tensions. The army source said there was another “face-off” between Indian and Chinese troops in the last week of November in the Demchok region of Ladakh, further to the north.

    It was unclear if there were any injuries resulting from that incident, which was the first since September 2020. The army source said that there has been increased activity in Ladakh by the Chinese military, as well as a “possible” airspace violation by the Chinese air force in the same area.

    This follows joint military exercises which irked Beijing last month between India and the United States in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, which borders China. The Chinese soldiers also displayed a banner objecting to the Indo-US military exercises, the source said.

    Undefined border

    China and India fought a war in 1962 over their long and disputed border. The exact path of the border, some of which is more than 4,000 metres (13,100 feet) above sea level, has never been demarcated.

    Winter temperatures can plunge below minus 30 Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit), cracking gun barrels and seizing up machinery.

    Even before the June 2020 clash, India was moving strategically closer to the West, deepening security cooperation with the United States, Japan and Australia in the Asia-Pacific region.

    United by their concern about China’s increasing influence in the region, together they make up the so-called Quad alliance.

    India has also embarked on a $130-billion modernisation of its armed forces — including ordering attack helicopters from the United States and a missile defence system from Russia.

    In the aftermath of the 2020 clash, India banned hundreds of mobile applications of Chinese origin, including the popular social media platform TikTok. Chinese firms operating in India, including cellphone makers Xiaomi and Huawei, have been raided by the tax authorities.

    Bilateral trade remains brisk, however, at around $100 billion per year, but India imports from China far more than it exports there.

    (With inputs from PTI, AFP)

    The tumultuous Sino-India border has witnessed a new border clash between the Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army.

    The Indian army on Monday revealed that both troops clashed near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along the Arunachal Pradesh border in the Tawang sector, leaving at least six Indian soldiers injured.  

    The tussle arose, on Dec. 09, 2022, after Chinese troops converged near the LAC prompting Indian troops to contest the action in a “resolute” manner.   Indian media reports quoted unnamed sources as saying that the incident involved around 300 members of China’s People’s Liberation Army and that China suffered a greater number of injuries.

    WATCH:

    The latest border tussle comes at a time when the bilateral ties between the nuclear giants are at rock bottom in the aftermath of the Galwan Valley clash, in June 2020, leaving at least 20 Indian soldiers and four PLA troops killed.

    China and India fought a full-scale war in 1962 over control of Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims in its entirety and considers part of Tibet.

    What does India say?

    India has accused China of trying to “unilaterally change the status quo” on their disputed Himalayan border last week when clashes left troops on both sides injured.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed the parliament that Indian and Chinese troops engaged in the fresh confrontation on December 9 in Arunachal Pradesh.

    “On 09 December 2022, PLA troops attempted to unilaterally change the status quo by encroaching on the Line of Actual Control, in the Yangtse area of the Tawang sector,” Singh said, referring to China’s People’s Liberation Army and the de-facto border.

    The face-off, which followed recent joint US-India military exercises near the border that angered Beijing, led to “injuries to soldiers on both sides,” Singh added.

    “A scuffle ensued in this face-off. The Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from encroaching on our territory and forced them to withdraw to their posts. Some soldiers from both sides were injured in the skirmish.”

    What does China say?

    In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that he believed the situation was now calm but gave no details of what happened or whether Chinese troops were injured.

    “As far as we understand, the China-India border situation is stable overall,” Wang said, adding the two sides “maintained unobstructed dialogue on the border issue through diplomatic and military channels.”

    He added: “It is hoped that the Indian side will advance in the same direction as China, earnestly implement the important consensus reached by both leaders, strictly abide by the spirit of the agreements and accords signed by both sides, (and) together uphold the peace and tranquillity of the China-India border region.”

    US-India exercises

    Since the deadly hand-to-hand battle in 2020, both sides have sent thousands of troops to bolster the border. Multiple rounds of talks have failed to substantially ease tensions. The army source said there was another “face-off” between Indian and Chinese troops in the last week of November in the Demchok region of Ladakh, further to the north.

    It was unclear if there were any injuries resulting from that incident, which was the first since September 2020. The army source said that there has been increased activity in Ladakh by the Chinese military, as well as a “possible” airspace violation by the Chinese air force in the same area.

    This follows joint military exercises which irked Beijing last month between India and the United States in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, which borders China. The Chinese soldiers also displayed a banner objecting to the Indo-US military exercises, the source said.

    Undefined border

    China and India fought a war in 1962 over their long and disputed border. The exact path of the border, some of which is more than 4,000 metres (13,100 feet) above sea level, has never been demarcated.

    Winter temperatures can plunge below minus 30 Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit), cracking gun barrels and seizing up machinery.

    Even before the June 2020 clash, India was moving strategically closer to the West, deepening security cooperation with the United States, Japan and Australia in the Asia-Pacific region.

    United by their concern about China’s increasing influence in the region, together they make up the so-called Quad alliance.

    India has also embarked on a $130-billion modernisation of its armed forces — including ordering attack helicopters from the United States and a missile defence system from Russia.

    In the aftermath of the 2020 clash, India banned hundreds of mobile applications of Chinese origin, including the popular social media platform TikTok. Chinese firms operating in India, including cellphone makers Xiaomi and Huawei, have been raided by the tax authorities.

    Bilateral trade remains brisk, however, at around $100 billion per year, but India imports from China far more than it exports there.

    (With inputs from PTI, AFP)

  • Indo-China border clash: China says situation ‘stable’ on Arunachal border

    By AFP

    BEIJING: China said the situation was “stable” Tuesday on its border with India after New Delhi reported a fresh stand-off between the two countries’ militaries on their disputed Himalayan frontier last week.

    The incident is thought to be the most serious on the nuclear-armed Asian giants’ disputed frontier since 2020 when 20 Indian troops and four Chinese soldiers died in brawling.

    An Indian source said the December 9 incident, which followed recent joint US-India military exercises near the border, led to “minor injuries to (a) few personnel from both sides.”

    Chinese soldiers came close to the area near the Line of Actual Control — the de facto border — where it had been agreed that neither side would patrol, the sources added.

    But foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin did not comment on the alleged clash Tuesday, telling reporters “as far as we understand, the China-India border situation is stable overall.”

    “Both sides have throughout maintained unobstructed dialogue on the border issue through diplomatic and military channels, it is hoped that the Indian side will advance in the same direction as China,” he added.

    Beijing urged New Delhi to “earnestly implement the important consensus reached by both leaders, strictly abide by the spirit of the agreements and accords signed by both sides, together uphold the peace and tranquillity of the China-India border region.”

    Indian media reports quoted unnamed sources as saying that the incident involved around 300 members of China’s People’s Liberation Army and that China suffered a greater number of injuries — claims Beijing has not commented on.

    A request for comment to China’s Ministry of National Defense by AFP went unanswered Tuesday.

    Relations have been at rock bottom between the two countries since clashes in 2020.

    ALSO READ | Indian Army prevented Chinese attempts to change status quo in Arunachal

    BEIJING: China said the situation was “stable” Tuesday on its border with India after New Delhi reported a fresh stand-off between the two countries’ militaries on their disputed Himalayan frontier last week.

    The incident is thought to be the most serious on the nuclear-armed Asian giants’ disputed frontier since 2020 when 20 Indian troops and four Chinese soldiers died in brawling.

    An Indian source said the December 9 incident, which followed recent joint US-India military exercises near the border, led to “minor injuries to (a) few personnel from both sides.”

    Chinese soldiers came close to the area near the Line of Actual Control — the de facto border — where it had been agreed that neither side would patrol, the sources added.

    But foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin did not comment on the alleged clash Tuesday, telling reporters “as far as we understand, the China-India border situation is stable overall.”

    “Both sides have throughout maintained unobstructed dialogue on the border issue through diplomatic and military channels, it is hoped that the Indian side will advance in the same direction as China,” he added.

    Beijing urged New Delhi to “earnestly implement the important consensus reached by both leaders, strictly abide by the spirit of the agreements and accords signed by both sides, together uphold the peace and tranquillity of the China-India border region.”

    Indian media reports quoted unnamed sources as saying that the incident involved around 300 members of China’s People’s Liberation Army and that China suffered a greater number of injuries — claims Beijing has not commented on.

    A request for comment to China’s Ministry of National Defense by AFP went unanswered Tuesday.

    Relations have been at rock bottom between the two countries since clashes in 2020.

    ALSO READ | Indian Army prevented Chinese attempts to change status quo in Arunachal