Politics

Tawang face-off: Raksha Mantri Rajnath holds high-level meet; says in LS ‘our Army gave a befitting reply’

Due to the timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA soldiers have retreated to their own location

December 13, 2022

Chinese troops attempted to change the status quo by entering Indian territory, Indian Army gave a betting reply

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh held a high-level meeting with the NSA, Army Chief, and CDS after a clash between the Indian Army and Chinese PLA on a 17,000-ft high peak in Arunachal Pradesh.

Amid a face-off between Indian and Chinese troops, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the Winter Session of the Parliament.

Rajnath Singh said, “I would like to inform the House that on December 9 in the Yangtse area of the Tawang Sector PLA troops encroached upon the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and attempted to change the status quo. This attempt was tackled by our troops in a determined manner. There was hand to hand brawl as well during the face-off. Our troops bravely stopped PLA from encroaching upon our territory and forced them to go back to their post”.

Rajnath Singh said in the Lok Sabha that the Chinese troops made an attempt to change the status quo by entering the Indian territory but the Indian Army gave a betting reply. Singh added that the Indian troops forced the PLA troops to retreat to their own location without any causalities or injury.

“In this face-off, few soldiers on both sides suffered injuries. I would like to tell this House that none of our soldiers died or suffered any serious injury. Due to the timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA soldiers have retreated to their own location,” he added.

Singh further said, “After this incident, the local commander of the area held a Flag Meeting with his Chinese counterpart on December 11 under the established system and discussed this incident. The Chinese side refused all such actions and asked to maintain peace at the border. This matter has also been taken up with China through diplomatic channels. I want to assure the House that our forces are committed to guarding our borders and ready to thwart any attempt that will be made to challenge it.

Singh concluded, “I am confident that this House will unanimously support the valor and courage of our forces. And I am quite sure that this Parliament will without any doubt appreciate the capability, bravery, valour, and commitment of the Indian Army“.

Indian Army said India has firm control of the peak, and both sides have disengaged from the area.

At ground zero the commanders of both Indian and Chinese armies held a Flag Meeting. According to the Indian Army, India has firm control of the peak, and now both sides have disengaged from the area.

Earlier this month, China had also objected to the India-American joint military exercise at Auli in Uttarakhand. Though India dismissed China’s objection to the joint exercise near the Line of Actual Control in Uttarakhand’s Auli, saying it did not give a veto to third countries on these issues.

Hitting back at China, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said the joint exercises with the US in Auli has nothing to do with the 1993 and 1996 agreements with China.

[With Inputs from IANS]

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