Army Chief Naravane clarifies on LAC standoff, says 'there is nothing new'

Army Chief MM Naravane cleared the air over the recent incidents of an aggressive stand-off between India and Chinese troops at the Sikkim and Ladakh border on Thursday. Brushing it off as 'nothing new', the Army Chief assured that the situation is being dealt as per the protocols laid down between the two countries and in accordance with strategic guidelines. Naravane, who recently visited the Easter and South-Western Command where the incidents took place, stated that the incidents should not be viewed as any 'part of a coordinated plan.'

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Speaking to ANI, COAS Naravane said, "I have just come back from the Eastern and South-Western Command. I have had the opportunity to meet our troops and the commanders on the ground and I am happy to say that everyone's morale is very high. We are totally prepared to meet all our challenges and tasks which are given out to us."

'LAC is not defined'

Reflecting upon the stand-off incidents at the Sikkim and Ladakh border, he clarified that it was nothing new and was only because of different perceptions of both the sides on where the Line of Actual Control (LAC) runs.

He said, "As far as the situation on the northern borders is concerned, as you are aware that the LAC is not very defined, there are different perceptions on where the LAC runs. Accordingly, both sides patrol up to their accepted claim line and therefore when patrols reach at the same place at the same time then such face-offs do occur."

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Furthermore, he added, "They have occurred in the past and there is nothing new in what has happened in the last week or 10 days. It is just a matter of chance that the face-offs in Eastern Ladakh and Sikkim happened during the same period. We should not read too much into this that it is a part of a coordinated plan or anything like that and nor do these incidents have any connection to any domestic or international situations as it is prevailing today. But we will deal with it as per the protocols laid down between the two countries and in accordance with the strategic guidelines."

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