Addressing the clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the issue has been taken up through diplomatic channels and China “was warned against such actions”.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Singh said that on December 9, China's PLA troops “tried to unilaterally change the status quo” in Yangste area of the Tawang sector. “Our troops bravely stopped PLA from encroaching upon our territory and forced them to go back to their post,” he said. The scuffle led to injuries on both sides, he said, adding that there are no fatalities or serious casualties on the Indian side. “Due to the timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA soldiers have retreated to their own locations,” the Defence Minister said.
He assured the House that Indian forces are committed to protecting territorial integrity and “will continue to thwart any attempt made on it.”
Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 and the face-off resulted in "minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides", the Indian Army said on Monday. The clash near Yangtse along the LAC in the sensitive sector took place amid the over 30-month border standoff between the two sides in eastern Ladakh.
The clash rocked the winter session of Parliament on Tuesday, with the opposition seeking a discussion on the crucial border issue. Proceedings in both houses were adjourned till noon amid protests from the opposition.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of Chinese transgressions at the border in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh and alleged that China has been taking shelter in the prime minister's statement made in January 2020 that "no one has entered Indian territory or occupied any of our land".
No one can capture one inch of land till the Narendra Modi government is in power, Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Shah also said Congress had raised the border issue in Parliament to avoid questions on the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation's FCRA [Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act] cancellation.
