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In Rajya Sabha, Congress’ Chidambaram poses 5 questions to govt on LAC tension
The December 9 Yangtse clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector turned the spotlight on the lingering border tensions between the two countries.
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday asked the government if the India-China border issue was raised during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Bali in November.
Taking part in a discussion on an appropriation bill in Rajya Sabha, Chidambaram also sought to know if China had conceded anything on Hot Springs in eastern Ladakh, if the Indian Army had stopped patrolling areas it was patrolling before because of the creation of buffer zones, and if China had agreed to discuss frictions points in Doklam junction and Depsang plains. The former finance minister’s remarks came during a discussion on the government seeking ₹500 crore for defence capital expenditure for strategic roads in the country’s Northeast.
The December 9 Yangtse clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector turned the spotlight on the lingering border tensions between the two countries. Union defence minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament last week that Chinese troops attempted to transgress the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Yangtse sector, and unilaterally change the status quo along the contested border, but were pushed back by Indian soldiers.
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Opposition parties have been demanding a discussion on the situation along the LAC but the demand has been firmly rejected by the government.
“These are strategic and border roads in the Northeast. We know who is the threat in the northern and eastern borders,” Chidambaram said while raising the questions. The Congress MP also sought to know details of the Chinese infrastructure build up across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
“We know they have built roads, bridges, settlements, helipads and communications...What is the massive infrastructure China is building... I don’t want you to tell us what is the matching infrastructure you are building,” he said.
Also Read: Why Yangtse? At LAC, a long saga of military grit
On the Modi-Xi meeting, Chidambaram said he only wanted to know if the border issue was discussed, and not the details of the meeting.
BJP member GVL Narasimha Rao raised a point of order under Rule 110 saying that the issues raised by Chidambaram were beyond the scope of the debate, and his remarks should be expunged.
Earlier, chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar said that defence and security issues were of critical consequence, and the House needs to rise to a different level while discussing such issues.
“I just want to know if the border situation was discussed (between Modi and Xi). I am entitled to ask this question as you are asking ₹500 crore for the border,” Chidambaram said.
Chinese troops attempted to transgress LAC at Yangtse, and change the status quo along the contested border, but they were pushed back by Indian soldiers.
As far as Ladakh is concerned, despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies still have more than 60,000 troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in the sector. Problems at Depsang in Daulet Beg Oldi sector and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok sector are still on the negotiating table.
