"We reject such statements. Our position with regard to developments last year along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh has been clear and consistent," the MEA spokesperson said.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Friday clarified that India's position with regard to developments last year along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh has been clear and consistent. Bagchi's statement came after the Chinese MFA Spokesperson's comments on the Galwan valley incident.
"It was the provocative behaviour and unilateral attempts of the Chinese side to alter status quo in contravention of all our bilateral agreements that resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquillity," Bagchi said. "This has also impacted the bilateral relations," he added.
"We reject such statements. Our position with regard to developments last year along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh has been clear and consistent," the MEA spokesperson said.
"As emphasized by EAM in his meeting with Chinese FM earlier this month, it is our expectation that the Chinese side will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements & protocols," he added.
The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry even as the two sides continued military and diplomatic talks.
Both sides had rushed a large number of battle tanks, armoured vehicles and heavy equipment to the treacherous and high-altitude areas of the eastern Ladakh region after tension escalated following a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June last year. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the fierce hand-to-hand combat on June 15 in Galwan Valley.
