News Analysis India

Tag: Indian Army

  • Two pilots injured after Army chopper crash-lands in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district: Officials

    By PTI
    JAMMU: An advanced light helicopter (ALH) Dhruv of the Indian Army made a crash-landing in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district on Monday, resulting in injuries to two pilots, officials said.

    The chopper, which was coming from Pathankot, was forced to make a crash-landing in an Army area in the Lakhanpur belt of the district, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kathua Shailendra Mishra said.

    Two pilots of the helicopter were injured in the incident, he said, adding that they were rushed to a military base hospital.

    A defence spokesperson confirmed the incident and said further details are awaited.

  • ‘He’d like me to face world bravely’: Kulgam martyr’s widow set to join Indian Army

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Jyoti Nainwal (32) will soon start her training at Officers Training Academy in Chennai. Mother of a 5-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter, her husband Nayak Deepak Nainwal was injured in April 2018 in Kulgam of Jammu & Kashmir in action and succumbed in May 2018. 

    The demise of Nainwal broke his family leaving Jyoti distraught. However, she decided to take up the responsibilities and not give up on her children and family. 

    “I told myself that Deepak would not want me to be like this. He would like me to face the world bravely. I decided to join the Indian Army. I hope this will make him happy wherever he is,” said Jyoti, who holds a postgraduation in Economics. 

    “Indian Army supported me through and through. I was allowed to stay and take care of my husband for 40-days during his hospitalization. I learnt during this period that the Indian Army not only takes care of the brave hearts but their families too. Deepak told me that I have got the potential to be in the Army. My mentors, in-laws and brothers worked with me at every step to get me through,” added Nainwal who will be joining the academy on January 29, 2021.

    Naik Deepak Nainwal took three bullets while fighting off terrorists in Kulgam of Kashmir on April 10, 2018 and left the world on May 20, 2018.

    Jyoti who got married in year 2011 recalls, “He often used to reiterate- ‘These are very normal wounds. I will recover soon. Don’t worry’. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. More than myself I was petrified what to tell my children- Lavanya and Reyansh who were waiting for their father to come home. Together, with everyone’s support, we decided to keep him in our memories forever.”

    The family of the martyr has been dedicated to the country for three generations. Deepak’s grandfather Sureshanand Nainwal was freedom fighter while his father Chakradhar P Nainwal is retired from the Army and was part of the action in 1971 war with Pakistan. 

    “I am proud of my son and my daughter-in-law. I am blessed that I am part of such a family where people elder to e and younger to me have sacrificed for the country,” Jyoti’s mother-in-law Parvati Nainwal said.

  • Ladakh standoff: Indian Army, Chinese PLA hold over 11-hour-long talks

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: After a gap of over two-and-half months, India and China on Sunday held the ninth round of military talks specifically focusing on ways to move forward on the long-negotiated disengagement process in eastern Ladakh as thousands of their troops remained deployed at friction points under freezing conditions.

    The Corps Commander-level meeting began at around 10.00 AM at the Moldo border point on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and was continuing till after 9.00 PM, sources said.

    People familiar with the negotiations said India insisted that the onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in the region.

    India has been maintaining that the disengagement process has to start simultaneously at all the friction points and no selective approach was acceptable to it.

    Close to 100,000 Indian and Chinese troops are deployed in eastern Ladakh as both sides have been holding on to their ground and showing readiness for a long-haul, amid continuing diplomatic and military talks to find an amicable solution.

    Reflecting India’s firm approach in handling the situation, Army chief Gen MM Naravane nearly two weeks back said that Indian troops will hold their ground as long as it takes to achieve the “national goals and objectives” even as he hoped for an amicable resolution of the row through talks.

    Sunday’s talks took place nearly two weeks after India handed back to China a soldier of the People’s Liberation Army after apprehending him at the southern bank of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh.

    It is learnt that India’s gesture has generated a positive atmosphere.

    The Indian delegation at the talks was led by Lt Gen PGK Menon, the Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps.

    In the military talks, India has all along been demanding restoration of status quo ante in all areas of eastern Ladakh prior to April.

    The face-off had begun on May 5.

    The eighth and last round of the talks had taken place on November 6 during which both sides broadly discussed disengagement of troops from specific friction points.

    The seventh round of Corps Commander-level talks had taken place on October 12 where China had pressed for the withdrawal of Indian troops from a number of strategic heights around the southern bank of Pangong lake.

    However, India insisted that the disengagement process has to start simultaneously at all the friction points.

    Last month, India and China held another round of diplomatic talks under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs.

    However, no concrete outcome emerged from the meeting.

    Following the sixth round of military talks, the two sides had announced a slew of decisions including not to send more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground and avoid taking any actions that may further complicate matters.

    This round was held with a specific agenda of exploring ways to implement a five-point agreement reached between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a meeting in Moscow on September 10 on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) conclave.

    The pact included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC.

  • India to display key military assets on Republic Day; contingent of Bangladesh excited to march down Rajpath

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India will be displaying some of its key military assets, such as T-90 tanks and BrahMos missile system, during the 72nd Republic Day celebrations on Rajpath, with a marching-cum-band contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces all set to take part in the ceremonial parade for the first time.

    The leader of the 122-member contingent on Saturday thanked India for the gesture and said, the “enduring relationship” between the two countries is growing day by day.

    The Bangladeshi contingent, with members drawn from all the three wings of its armed forces, will be the first marching contingent to walk down the ceremonial boulevard on January 26.

    India’s military might and some of the state-of-the-art assets of the armed forces, including three T-90 tanks, BrahMos missile system, BMP-II, two Pinaka multiple launch rocket system, two bridge laying tanks, electronic warfare equipment Samvijay and one upgraded Schilka air defence weapon system, will be showcased during the parade on Rajpath, which will be held following COVID-19 safety guidelines.

    “This year, no new asset will be displayed, but upgraded versions of various key assets and equipment will be there,” Chief of Staff, Delhi Area, Maj Gen Alok Kacker, told reporters.

    He said 18 marching contingents – 16 marching and two animal-mounted – will take part in the parade from the armed forces, paramilitary forces, Delhi Police, National Cadet Corps and National Service Scheme, along with bands, including 15 from the military.

    The 61 Cavalry, consisting of 43 horses, will be marching down the Rajpath as part of the mounted column.

    Due to COVID-19 safety norms, there will be no motorcycle display this time, a major attraction for the crowd at Republic Day celebrations on the Rajpath, and also the veterans marching contingent will also not be there, Kacker said.

    The contingents in the parade will stop at the National Stadium this year instead of following the regular route all the way to the Red Fort, primarily due to COVID-19 safety norms, Kacker added.

    Responding to queries from reporters, he said bands and contingents have arrived from various parts of the country and about 260 members had tested COVID-19 positive out of the 3,000-odd pool, and they were quarantined and their primary contacts traced and tested, until they tested negative twice.

    “Also, the fact that the contingent size has been reduced from regular 144 to 96, gives us an in-built reserve. But, we are all safe and fresh and raring to go on Rajpath on January 26,” Kacker said.

    He said COVID-19 safety norms have been followed from day one and contingents have moved from “bubble to bubble” to minimise all scope of infection.

    A full dress rehearsal of the parade was held on Saturday morning.

    Capt Preeti Choudhary from 140 AD Regt (SP) will be commanding the upgraded Schilka weapon system as part of the mechanised column on Rajpath, officials said.

    The newly inducted Rafale fighter aircraft will feature in India’s Republic Day parade on January 26 and culminate the flypast by carrying out the ‘Vertical Charlie’ formation.

    Col Md Mohtashim Chowdhury, the leader of the Bangladesh contingent said, “We feel very fortunate that India has given our country this opportunity. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh and also we are in the midst of birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. So, we are very happy to be here.”

    The members of the contingent are drawn mostly from units raised during the 1971 war, and several other units which were raised before it, he said.

    This is the third time that a contingent from a foreign country will be taking part in the Republic Day celebrations here.

    The other two countries being France (2016) and the UAE (2017).

    According to information shared with the media, for the Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29, a special composition ‘Swarnim Vijay’, to commemorate 50 years of India’s victory in the 1971 war, has been done, besides a few other tune compositions.

    Officials on Friday had said that bravery awardee children parade on jeep will also not be there at the 72nd Republic Day event, on account of social distancing.

    Also, there will be no chief guest at the event this year.

    “This year’s Republic Day is very different as it is happening amid the coronavirus pandemic. Like in Independence Day, all chairs in enclosures will be placed following social distancing norms. So, the crowd size has come down to 25,000 this time from around 1. 25 lakh last year or some of the previous years,” an official had said.

    At Saturday’s press conference, heads of some of the marching regiments, and Param Vir Chakra winners Subedar Major Yogendra Singh Yadav and Subedar Sanjay Singh were also present, and interacted with reporters, sharing stories of valor from the Kargil war of 1999.

    Lt Gen Vijay Kumar Mishra, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, will be the parade commander and Maj Gen Kacker will be the Second-in-Command, officials said.

    Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra awardees will be part of the parade, they said.

    A total of 32 tableaux — 17 of various states and UTs, nine of ministries and six from defence arm, including of IAF, Navy, Indian Naval Coast Guard, two from the DRDO and one from BRO (Border Roads Organisation) — will roll down Rajpath, officials said on Friday.

  • Women army officers once again move SC for grant of permanent commission, promotions and benefits

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Eleven women army officers have moved the Supreme Court seeking compliance of its February last year directions to the Centre for grant of permanent commission, promotions and consequential benefits to them “in an inclusive, fair, just and reasonable manner”.

    In a plea, Lieutenant Colonel Ashu Yadav and 10 other women Army officers alleged that the directions were not being complied with in “letter and spirit”.

    The procedures for grant of permanent commission is “vitiated with arbitrariness, unfairness and unreasonableness”, they alleged in the petition, which is scheduled to be taken up for hearing by a bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud on January 27.

    “The respondent institution is not leaving any possibility of thrusting their stand of unequal treatment to the women officers indirectly by trapping them into technical and procedural formalities and consequential denial of their rights,” it said.

    The conduct of the Centre suggests that it is “playing a psychological warfare with these women officers” to avoid every possibility of granting them the benefits of permanent commission, promotion and consequential benefits, which is in clear violation of the order dated February 17, 2020, the plea said.

    “Hence, it is most humbly prayed before this court to direct the respondent institution to determine a fair, rational road map and a well-reasoned policy for women officers on all the aspects, including grant of Col (Colonel) TS (time scale) rank and long outstanding financial dues, so as to promote inclusiveness rather than elimination techniques,” it said.

    The plea challenged the general instructions, dated August 1, 2020, regarding the requisites of Special Board-5 (SB-5) for grant of permanent commission to short service commissioned (SSC) women officers.

    It has also challenged the absence of any policy for organising the SB-3 board which is the promotion board for women officers who will be approved by the permanent commission board.

    The plea also questioned the terms regarding substantive promotion by time scale on the rank of Colonel to women officers after completing 26 years of reckonable service in light of the terms of a notification dated December 21, 2004.

    Pointing out the shortcomings of the SB-5 board criterion, the women officers said that the general instructions of August 1 last year, “are a set of arbitrary norms/criterion and pre-requisites, for the consideration of women officers by the SB-5 board that is the board for granting permanent commission”.

    It said that the medical criterion laid down in the general instructions is inconsistent with the basic tenets of equality as laid down in Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

    The general instructions released by the Indian Army on August 1 last year are “full of ambiguities as it contains provisions which seek to eliminate the women officers rather than giving them a fair chance or opportunity of permanent commission”, the plea said.

    ALSO READ | SC rejects plea for pensionable service benefits to women Army officers after cut-off date

    The petitioners said that it is apprehended that applying such procedure on women officers is only to render them unfit.

    “For instance, women officers above 45 years (approaching menopause) and unmarried women officers were also made to undergo pregnancy tests overlooking their age and marital status,” they claimed in their plea.

    The plea said that women officers subjected to the permanent commission board include those who have continued in service beyond 14 and 20 years performing all such duties that have been performed by their male counterparts without any obstruction due to physiological changes.

    “Thus, the medical conditions not being an impediment in career progression and promotions for male officers in the similar service length bracket cannot be so for the women officers,” it said.

    The petitioners said that in a hierarchical organisation like the army, where stiff competition exists for each vacancy in promotion boards (SB-3), the objectivity of ACRs of senior women officers having been rendered by male counterparts who were many batches junior to them, in some cases their students, cannot be considered at such a belated stage or for that matter at any stage to avoid unparalleled prejudices.

    “It will be in clear breach of the provisions of the Army Order, consisting of the terms of protection of rights of a batch,” the plea said.

    The officers submitted that they have been deprived of the provision for time-scale promotion recognised by the Indian Army which was introduced through the notification of December 21, 2004, wherein all officers who have completed the service period of 26 years without promotion to the rank of Colonel by selection shall be so promoted by time scale.

    They said that the purpose of filing the plea is to “highlight the remaining hurdles to the battle of permanent commission, promotion and consequential benefits which has been fought and won over a period of 15 years with a hope of achieving their rightful claims”.

    On February 17 last year in a landmark verdict, the top court had directed that women officers in the Army be granted a permanent commission, rejecting the Centre’s stand of their physiological limitations as being based on “sex stereotypes” and “gender discrimination against women”.

    The apex court had directed that within three months, all serving SSC women officers have to be considered for permanent commission irrespective of them having crossed 14 years or, as the case may be, 20 years of service.

  • Republic Day 2021: Indian Army to showcase MBT Bhishma, deployed from Rajasthan to Galwan

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Indian Army’s Main Battle Tanks (MBT) T-90 are fortressed in Eastern Ladakh against the armoured columns of China. But this time, the same T-90s will be showcased at Rajpath as part of the Republic Day Parade 2021.

    For the first time the most potent tanks of the Indian Army were moved to such heights ranging upto 16000 ft. 

    Talking about the qualities of the tank, Tank Commander Captain Karanveer Singh, said, “It is a 3rd generation T-90 tank, also called as Bhishma. It has a 125 mm gun which had the capability to fire varied kinds of ammunition, being singular in the Army to fire a guided missile.”

    “This can neutralise any target upto 5000 meters of distance. And it can range 50 to 60 km per hour on land and it even goes under water. 5 meter of water it can tread and for aerial targets it has 12.7mm NSVT gun. It can bring down any chopper any drone which comes under its vicinity,” he added. 

    These tanks also have night fighting capabilities.

    Ballway Machine Pikate (BMP- II) armoured personnel carrier, Pinaka multiple launch rocket system, Shilka anti-aircraft gun system and Brahmos land-attack missiles will also be included during the 72nd Republic Day parade on January 26 being held amidst the Covid pandemic. 

    Due to Covid-19 protocols, there will be six marching contingents from the army. Each contingent will consist of 96 troops. Earlier, there were 144 soldiers.

    China since May 2020 allowed their military helicopters fly closer to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and used drones to conduct surveillance close to borders.

    Keeping the tactical requirements in mind while the Infantry soldiers have occupied heights of mountains, Indian Army has deployed the Russian-origin T-90 and T-72 tanks at several locations in the eastern Ladakh. Depsang plains in Daulat Beg Oldie sector on the northern bank of Pangong Lake and on the southern bank, tanks were moved forward to plug the flat valleys and plane areas like Spanggur gap area and the Chumar-Demchok sector to counter the China’s PLA.

    Russian origin T- 90 tanks were inducted into the Indian Army in 2001 with contract of 310 T-90 tanks.

    After initial contract for induction of 310 T-90 tanks in 2001, India signed a contract for licence production of 1,000 vehicles in 2004.

    In 2007, a third agreement for 347 vehicles was finalised. Two years back, in November 2019, a $2.8 billion deal order was placed with the Ordnance Factory Board to licence-produce 464 more T-90s tanks. OFB manufacturers them at its heavy vehicle factory (HVF), Avadi in Tamil Nadu.

  • India, China maintaining close communication on next round of military talks: MEA

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India and China have agreed to hold the next round of senior commander-level meetings soon and both sides are maintaining close communication over diplomatic and military channels on it, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

    Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a bitter border standoff in eastern Ladakh for over eight months as multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks have not yet produced any major breakthrough.

    “Both sides have agreed to hold the next round of the senior commander level meeting soon and we are in close communication over diplomatic and military channels in this regard,” Spokesperson in the ministry Anurag Srivastava said.

    He was replying to a question on the next round of military talks at a media briefing.

    The eighth and last round of military talks between the two sides had taken place on November 6 during which both sides broadly discussed disengagement of troops from specific friction points.

    India has all along been maintaining that the onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in the mountainous region.

    In a clear message to China, Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane last week said India is committed to resolving the eastern Ladakh standoff through talks but no one should make any mistake of testing its patience.

    Following the sixth round of military talks, the two sides had announced a slew of decisions including not to send more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground and avoid taking any actions that may further complicate matters.

    This round was held with a specific agenda of exploring ways to implement a five-point agreement reached between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a meeting in Moscow on September 10 last year on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) conclave.

    The pact included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC.

  • Revolution in bureaucratic affairs needed to bring Defence modernisation, says Army Chief

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Ruing about the protracted process and the slow pace of modernisation of the Indian Army General MM Naravane said on Thursday that the Defence Modernisation is held hostage to focus on following procedures instead of procuring the relevant product.

    Revolution in bureaucratic affairs (RBA) will realize the vision of self-reliance, said Chief.Speaking at webinar on 25 years of Army-industry partnership, Army Chief General MM Naravane said, “We are not being able to fast track the process of acquisition. It is because we have tried to cater for every contingency and every loophole. This results is acquisition process getting tied up in knots. To that end what has happened is that the process and procedures, rather than the product, have become paramount and these are holding hostage the Defence modernisation.”Army Chief spoke candidly on the gaps plaguing acquisition. “There are certain inherent procedural lacuna that have crept into the acquisition process which inherently arise due to the overbearing nature of our rules, regulations and guidelines in trying to ensure zero error. This is also aggravated by our own interpretation of rules.”

    Illustrating the point, Army Chief gave example of the Ski and Spikes to underline that at times the Qualitative Requirements (QR) we set for the equipment and the consequent overpromise it draws from the vendors complicates it further.

    “Combining both is a set of QRs become undeliverable. These then require a reset from time to time when a lot of effort and resources have been spent in trying to achieve them,” the Chief added.

    For example, QRs were formulated for ski to be used in mountainous terrain to weigh between 2 and 5 kilos. When a vendor offered ultra-light ski weighing 1.6 kilos, it was rejected at the DAC stage. Similarly, Pungi Spikes which are essentially sharp pointed spikes. Its weight was found to be 6 kilos but it was rejected because the QR said between 3 and 5 kilosCalling indigenous defence production as must for maintaining strategic influence and freedom of action General Naravane said revolution in bureaucratic affairs is the need of the time.

    “Here I wish to underscore that in order to complement the revolution in military affairs, we also need revolution in bureaucratic affairs to realize the vision of self-reliance.” India must enhance indigenous defence capabilities to maintain strategic influence and freedom of action as external dependence for weapons creates vulnerabilities in times of crisis. Gen Naravane talked about twin challenges of Covid-19 pandemic and the “belligerence” on the northern borders last year. “India is now a rising regional global power in Asia, more particularly in South Asia. As we rise in our stature and influence, we will face increasingly higher security challenges,” the Army chief said. Referring to ongoing border standoff in eastern Ladakh with China, Gen Naravane said that a continuous and concerted capability building of the Army through modernisation to address the security challenges is a national imperative. “Considering the quick pace of defence modernisation being undertaken by our adversaries, we are lagging behind slightly. Continuous and heavy dependence of Indian armed forces on equipment of foreign origin needs to be addressed through indigenous capability development,” he said. “The defence industry is a big enabler for self reliance and capability building and it is a prerequisite to maintain our strategic influence and freedom of action,” the chief said

  • Indian military team to leave for Russia soon to train on operational aspects of S-400 missiles

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A group of Indian military personnel is leaving for Russia in the next few days to undergo training on key operational aspects of the S-400 air defence systems as Moscow looks at supplying the first batch of the missile to India later this year, officials said on Tuesday.

    Russian Ambassador Nikolay R Kudashev interacted with the group at an event in the Russian embassy on Tuesday during which he said the S-400 programme is one of the flagship projects in further boosting military cooperation between the two countries.

    He said Indo-Russia military and military-technical ties were based on “ever-growing extraordinary mutual interest”, coherence, consistency and complementarity.

    In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.

    India made the first tranche of payment of around USD 800 million to Russia for the missile systems in 2019.

    The S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.

    Recently, the US imposed sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for purchase of S-400 missile defences from Russia.

    Around 100 Indian military personnel are leaving for Russia this month for the S-400 training programme, officials said.

    Kudashev said military cooperation has been the main pillar of the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries and that the overall Indo-Russia friendship has become an important factor of stability in the region and the globe, according to a Russian embassy release.

    “It is based on mutual trust and reflects the true spirit of our bilateral and multilateral commitments in the framework of our vision towards just and equal relations based on the international law and the UN Charter,” he said.

    “Coming out of the bipolar world and successfully proceeding through the current establishment of the polycentric order, our partnership is becoming even stronger, experiencing new areas and forms of mutually beneficial and forward-looking cooperation,” the ambassador said.

    Russia is expected to start delivery of the S-400 missile systems later this year.

    Along with S-400 systems project, Kudashev said both sides are successfully moving towards implementation of AK-203 Kalashnikov’s contract, the Ka-226 helicopters programme as well as cooperation in the areas of combat aviation including the Su-30MKI project.

    He said both sides are also moving forward in several other projects like the main battle tanks (T-90), frigates, submarines and missiles and joint production of “unique Brahmos”.

    In October 2016, India and Russia had finalised a broad agreement to set up a joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and two Russian defence majors for procuring 200 Kamov Ka-226T choppers for Indian armed forces.

    According to the understanding, 60 Kamov-226T helicopters will be supplied to India in fly-away condition, while 140 will be manufactured in India.

    Russia had agreed to ensure the transfer of technologies to India as part of the pact.

    India and Russia finalised the deal for manufacturing AK-203 rifles during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Moscow last year.

    More than 700,000 rifles are to be produced at an Indo-Russian joint production facility in India.

    “Looking forward to an early implementation of the spare parts joint production agreement, which also fits well in Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) programmes. Work also is going on the mutual logistics support agreement, strengthening maritime cooperation, including in the Indian Ocean,” the Russian ambassador said.

    He said Russia intends to be one of the biggest exhibitors at the Aero-India in Bengaluru in February.

    “We plan to demonstrate Su-57, Su-35 and MiG-35 fighter jets, helicopters Ka-52, Ka-226, Mi-17B-5, Mi-26 as well S-400 systems and many other new items and equipment,” he said.

  • Chidambaram demands explanation from Modi government on BJP MP’s claim of ‘Chinese’ village in Arunachal

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram demanded answers from the government on Monday on BJP MP Tapir Gao’s claim that China has built a 100-house village in the “disputed area” deep into the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

    He said if the allegation made out by the BJP MP is true, will the government again give a clean chit to China or blame previous governments for it.

    Arunachal Pradesh is an Indian state, but China considers it as its territory.

    There is a border dispute between the two neighbouring countries and there has been a troops build-up in eastern Ladakh after a bloody clash between the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation of Army (PLA) of China in June last year.

    India lost 20 soldiers in the Galwan valley clash.

    China also lost many soldiers but did not disclose the number of casualties.

    ALSO READ | Have taken necessary measures to safeguard sovereignty: India on reports of Chinese village in Arunachal

    Chidambaram, who was the home minister in the UPA government, also alleged that the Chinese have altered the status quo in Arunachal Pradesh.

    “Mr Tapir Gao MP, belonging to BJP, has alleged that deep into Arunachal Pradesh, in a ‘disputed area’ within Indian territory, the Chinese have built a 100-house village, a bazaar and a two-lane road in the last year.

    “If this is true, it is clear that the Chinese have altered the status quo by converting a disputed area into a permanent settlement of Chinese nationals. What has the government to say about these startling facts?” he asked.

    “Will the government give another clean chit to China? Or will the government give a convoluted explanation blaming previous governments?” the senior Congress leader asked in a series of tweets.