China hindering India’s normal patrol across the Line of Actual Control: MEA

Team Udayavani, May 21, 2020, 8:38 PM IST

India on Thursday said China was hindering normal patrols by its troops along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh and Sikkim and strongly rejected Beijing’s allegations that Indian forces trespassed into the Chinese side.

The Ministry of External Affairs said all Indian activities have been carried out on its side of the border and that India has always taken a very responsible approach towards border management. At the same time, it said India was deeply committed to protecting its sovereignty and security.

Several areas in Ladakh and North Sikkim witnessed major military build-up by both the Indian and Chinese in the last few days, in a clear signal of escalating tension and hardening of respective positions by the two sides even two weeks after they were engaged in two separate face-offs.

On Tuesday, China accused the Indian Army of trespassing into its territory, claiming that it was an “attempt to unilaterally change the status” of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Sikkim and Ladakh.

“Any suggestion that Indian troops had undertaken activity across the LAC in the Western sector or the Sikkim sector is not accurate. Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas and abide by it scrupulously,” MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at an online media briefing.

He said all Indian activities were entirely on the Indian side of the LAC.

It is learnt that local commanders of both the sides held at least three meetings in the last couple of days to bring down the tension but there was no positive outcome from the exchanges.

Sources said a top official in the government was in touch with Beijing as both sides were attempting to resolve the issue.