MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday addressed a press conference and said the situation in the border areas gets disturbed when China deviates from established patrolling patterns. He said this in reference to the face-off with PLA in Arunachal Pradesh. He also said that both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Here's what Randhir Jaiswal said
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "As we have noted in the past, the situation in the India-China border areas gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces deviate from established patrolling patterns. Both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The two sides have also agreed to discuss ways to improve their understanding of the LAC in appropriate areas for better border management. I would also like to emphasise that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations."
The clarification from the MEA comes amidst a political firestorm over the purported remarks by the ITBP DG. Congress President Malikarjun Kharge took the fight to the Prime Minister demanding that he come clean on the subject. Asking specific questions Kharge said, "The ITBP DG's confirmation of continuing PLA face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh is deeply alarming.
India rejects Beijing's objection to renaming of 28 places in Ladakh
Earlier this month, India rejected Beijing's objection to New Delhi announcing standard names of 28 places and features in Ladakh, asserting that the Union territory is an "integral and inalienable" part of the country.
The Union home ministry assigned the standard names to the places and geographical features in Ladakh, including certain key border friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) such as Gogra and Hot Spring.
China strongly opposed India assigning standardised names in Ladakh
India's reaction came hours after China strongly opposed New Delhi assigning the standardised names. "It is reiterated that the UT (Union Territory) of Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India. No amount of denial by the Chinese side can change this established fact," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
He said the press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs dated October 2 that China referred to, is "self-explanatory". "The announcement mentions that the 28 places/features located in the UT of Ladakh have been identified with standard place and feature names on the official map of Survey of India, and it has been done in consultation with the Union Territory of Ladakh and local stakeholders," Jaiswal said.
"Identifying these places formally on the Survey of India map of UT of Ladakh is aimed at facilitating their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public at large," he said.
In the meantime, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing that China strongly opposed India's decision to assign standardised names to the locations and geographical features in Ladakh. "China has never recognised the so-called 'Union Territory of Ladakh' unilaterally and illegally established by India, and firmly opposes the so-called 'standardised names' publicised by India," she said. "This move by India is illegal and void and does not change the fact that the western sector of the China-India boundary belongs to China," Mao said.
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Face-off with China 'ongoing' at multiple locations along Arunachal border: ITBP chief
