AGENCIES / WEB DESK
India on Thursday hit out at China over the eastern Ladakh standoff and said that its “provocative behaviour” disturbed peace and tranquillity along the LAC in that region.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also attacked China for attempting to blame India for the border issue.
MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed that China continued to deploy a large number of troops and armaments in the border areas and it was in response to Chinese actions that Indian armed forces had to make appropriate counter deployments.
“China’s provocative behaviour, unilateral attempts to alter the status quo resulted in disturbance of peace along LAC in eastern Ladakh,” the MEA spokesperson said while replying to a media query on China’s allegations.
“China continues to deploy large number of troops and armaments in the border areas. It was in response to Chinese actions, that our armed forces had to make appropriate counter deployments in these areas to ensure that India’s security interests are fully protected,” Arindam Bagchi added.
The MEA statement came in response to Beijing’s allegation that New Delhi’s “forward policy” and decision to “illegally” enter Chinese territory were the “root cause” of tension between India and China along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
“India has long been following the forward policy and illegally encroached upon China’s territory across the border,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing while replying to a question on reports of India deploying artillery guns in eastern Ladakh.
However, the MEA spokesperson dismissed China’s allegations, saying they had “no basis in facts” and that it was India’s expectation that the “Chinese side will work towards an early resolution of the remaining issues along LAC in eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols”.
The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies in eastern Ladakh was triggered by a violent clash in the Pangong Lake region in May last year. It was followed by the deadly face-off between the two armies in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. The situation forced the two sides to deploy heavy weaponry and increase manpower along the LAC.
However, as a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area last month.