Tension on Indo-China border: Ladakh LG meets MoS Home

Ladakh's Lt Governor Radha Krishna Mathur today met Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy amid the Indian army reporting fresh incursion attempts by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) in eastern Ladakh.

Mathur's meeting with Reddy at his North Block office came in the wake of the Indian Army's today morning statement which said that China tried to create fresh trouble at a new point over the weekend even as the talks between the two countries to resolve the nearly four-month long standoff in Galwan Valley have been inconclusive.

However, the details of the 30-minute meeting between the Lt Governor and the Minister were not known immediately but sources said the prevailing situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was discussed.

It is also learnt that the issues raised by Indian Army came up in the meeting.

In its statement, the Indian Army said that on the night of August 29 and August 30, 2020, People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff and carried out "provocative military movements to change the status quo".

"Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Lake, and undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground," it said.

The Indian Army also stated that they are committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue, but are also equally determined to protect the country's territorial integrity.

Both the countries are engaged in an around four month long standoff at the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there has not been any breakthrough and the deadlock continues.

India has also found that the Chinese side has started troop, artillery and armour build-up in three sectors of the LAC — western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh).

China has also mobilised soldiers near Uttarakhand's Lipulekh Pass, a tri-junction between India, Nepal and China situated atop the Kalapani Valley. India had urged China to remove its forces from Pangong Lake and Gogra where disengagement has not taken place..