New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday asserted that no power in the world can stop Indian forces from patrolling right up to the traditional points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), adding that soldiers gave their life fighting for this right.
The defence minister also said that there is a difference between what China says and its actions on the ground.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Singh asserted that while India wants a peaceful solution to the boundary issue, it will not shy away from any action required to defend the sovereignty of the country.
Former defence minister and senior Congress leader A.K. Anthony sought clarification from Singh on the issue. Anthony said that the Galwan Valley was never disputed and that the Indian forces used to patrol until Finger 8.
“The Army and ITBP should be allowed to patrol to all points,” he said.
Responding to this, Singh said face-off has happened because China has been trying to disrupt patrolling patterns. “No power in the world can stop us from carrying out patrolling. Our soldiers gave their life fighting for this right,” he said.
As reported by ThePrint, the Chinese have intruded in a number of areas along the LAC and have blocked Indian patrolling teams, which have led to face-offs. While the face-offs continue, there is a buffer zone kind of an arrangement set up in some areas like Galwan, which prohibits patrolling by both sides temporarily.
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China’s actions different from its words
In his statement to the Upper House, the minister also asserted that India will not bow its head before anyone and neither is it interested in making anyone else bow before it.
Referring to fresh tensions at the southern banks of the Pangong Tso, Singh said that while two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military dialogues, the “Chinese side again engaged in provocative military manoeuvres on the night of 29th and 30th August in an attempt to change the status quo”.
“But yet again, timely and firm actions by our armed forces along the LAC prevented such attempts from succeeding,” he said, adding, “Unki kathani aur karni alag hai (their actions are at variance with their words).”
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha chairperson M. Venkaiah Naidu suggested that the government should take opposition parties into confidence by briefing them privately on the LAC situation.
With China not confirming dates for a fresh round of corps commander talks, India is not leaving anything to chance and is being “extra sensitive” along the LAC as well as the western sector bordering Pakistan.
Sources have said that the situation at the LAC remains tense after at least four rounds of firing between India and China.
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