India today rejected Beijing’s allegation that Indian troops crossed over to the Chinese side of the frontier in Ladakh and Sikkim while claiming that it was, in fact, the Chinese side that had recently undertaken activity at the border hindering India’s normal patrolling pattern.
”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 LAC in the India-China border areas and abide by it scrupulously,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava asserted, adding all Indian activities were entirely on the Indian side of the LAC.
China has recently accused India of unilaterally attempting to change the status of the un-demarcated border in Ladakh after troops of the two countries were involved in scuffles at Ladakh and Sikkim in which more than ten of them were injured.
The Indian spokesperson said the Indian side has always taken a very responsible approach towards border management. At the same time, it was deeply committed to ensuring India’s sovereignty and security.
”The Indian troops strictly follow the procedures laid down in various bilateral agreements and protocols to resolve any situations which may arise due to difference in perception of LAC. The two sides have established mechanisms to resolve such situations peacefully through dialogue. Both sides remain engaged with each other to address any immediate issues,” he added.
Recalling the consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their informal summit in Chennai in October last year, the spokesperson said New Delhi remained firmly committed to work for the common objective of maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas. This was an essential prerequisite to the further development of India-China bilateral relations, he added.