New Delhi: Under attack from the Congress party that alleged that the government had ceded Indian territory to the Chinese and its leader Rahul Gandhi seeking answers from the Prime Minister and Defence Minister “agreement” between the two sides on disengaging troops, the Defence Ministry today played down the allegations by claiming them to be “misleading”.
Rahul in a press conference today had referred to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement that he made yesterday in both the Houses of Parliament about the situation at the Line of Actual Control along Ladakh. Rahul said: “…Defence Minister makes a statement and we find Indian troops are now going to be stationed in Finger 3. Finger 4 is our territory. That is where our force used to be. So now we have moved from finger 4 to finger 3? Why has PM Modi given up Indian territory to the Chinese. This is the question that needs to be answered by him and by the Defence Minister.He further asked: “Why have Indian troops after the hard work that they did capturing Kailash ranges, why have they been asked to move back? What has India got in return for this? The most important thing, the more important strategic area, Depsang Plains, why have the Chinese not moved back? Why have they not withdrawn from Gogra Hot Springs?… The PM of India has given Indian territory to China.”
Later Rahul also raised these three questions in a tweet: “
1. Why our forces are withdrawing from dominant positions in Kailash Ranges? 2. Why we are ceding our territory & withdrawing from forward base at Finger 4 to Finger 3? 3. Why has China not withdrawn from our territory in Depsang Plains & Gogra Hot Springs?”
GOI must explain-
1. Why our forces are withdrawing from dominant positions in Kailash Ranges?
2. Why we are ceding our territory & withdrawing from forward base at Finger 4 to Finger 3?
3. Why has China not withdrawn from our territory in Depsang Plains & Gogra Hot Springs?
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 12, 2021
The Ministry of Defence, in its statement said it had taken ” note of some misinformed and misleading comments being amplified in the media and on social media” regarding the disengagement currently underway at Pangong Tso.
“It is necessary to set the record straight and counter certain instances of wrongly understood information being amplified in media and social media,” the Ministry stated. It added: “The assertion that Indian territory is upto Finger 4 is categorically false. The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq. km. currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962. Even the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol upto Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China.”
The Ministry further claimed: “Permanent posts of both sides at the north bank of Pangong Tso are longstanding and well-established. On the Indian side, it is Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 and on the Chinese side, east of Finger 8. The current agreement provides for cessation of forward deployment by both sides and continued deployment at these permanent posts.”
The Ministry reiterated that India had not conceded any territory as a result of this agreement and claimed that on the contrary, it had enforced observance and respect for LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo.
It said the Defence Minister’s statement in Parliament had also made clear that there were outstanding problems to be addressed, including at Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang.
The Minister had told Parliament that the outstanding issues were to be taken up within 48 hrs of the completion of the Pangong Tso disengagement.
“The effective safeguarding of our national interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the Government has reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces. Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them,” the Ministry stated.
– global bihari bureau
