The Congress on January 31 demanded an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to how and when the status quo will be restored along the China border in eastern Ladakh.
The statement comes a day after The Hindu reported a January 2 incident at Kakjung along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) where Indian graziers confronted the China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) when the latter stopped them from accessing grazing land.
Explained | What are the friction points on the LAC?
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a statement that the video showing Indian shepherds in a confrontation with China’s PLA once again exposed the hollowness of the Modi government’s claims of stability at the LAC.
“Shot in January 2024, the video shows PLA troops accompanied by an armoured vehicle harassing and blocking shepherds’ access to grazing areas near Patrolling Points 35 and 36 in the Chushul sector that lie well within India’s claim line. Indian authorities have reportedly asked the shepherds not to return to the area,” he said.
The statement added that for four years, the Modi government has tried to cover up the worst territorial setback in six decades for India with its “DDLJ approach: Deny, Distract, Lie and Justify.”
‘Access denied’
It added that Chinese troops continue to deny Indian patrols access to the strategic Depsang Plains, Demchok and other areas in eastern Ladakh. “China continues to deny us access to 2,000 square km despite 18 rounds of military talks,” the statement said.
Also Read | India has lost access to 26 out of 65 Patrolling Points in eastern Ladakh, says research paper
The statement stated that the video is only the latest example of Ladakhi sources on the ground puncturing the Modi government’s false narrative and the sources previously exposed how Indian troops have lost access to 26 out of 65 patrolling points and that the Modi government has agreed to buffer zones in which India cedes further territory.
“PM Modi has not only failed to restore the status quo in Ladakh in four years. He has also stood by as China increases its stranglehold on Bhutanese territory in the past six years, despite hollow claims of an Indian victory in Doklam in 2017, which poses a major threat to India’s Siliguri Corridor, also referred to as the Chicken’s Neck. China continues to make inroads into Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives, to which India is responding with social media campaigns and the banning of Chinese apps. All of this was enabled by the PM’s June 19, 2020 clean chit to China — when he said, ‘Na koi hamari seema mein ghus aaya hai, na hi koi ghusa hua hai’, a profound insult to our fallen soldiers in Galwan. This insult has been compounded by schemes like Agnipath that weaken soldiers’ welfare and morale through discriminatory treatment,” the statement said.
