Manish Tewari accuses Centre of stonewalling discussion on China, appeals to opposition

On Wednesday, Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari accused the Centre of stonewalling a discussion on the LAC situation in the Parliament. He recalled that 165 members of the Lower House of Parliament had participated in a discussion amid the Chinese aggression in 1962. Tewari added that most Parliaments in the world regularly met during World War I and II. Moreover, he pointed out that Winston Churchill's most famous speeches were made during World War II. According to him, the opposition would be failing in its responsibility if it permitted the Union government to avoid a debate under the garb of "operational sensitivity". 

Read: Rajnath Singh's Statement On LAC Faceoff Angers Congress; Seeks Exposé Of China's Deceit

Defence Minister speaks on LAC faceoff

Making a statement on the LAC situation in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh affirmed that the Armed Forces were capable of facing any challenge from China. While acknowledging that the situation at the LAC is very different both in terms of the scale of troops involve and the number of friction points, he reiterated India's commitment for a peaceful resolution of the dispute. Observing that the violent conduct of Chinese troops was a violation of all past agreements, he informed the MPs that India has done counter deployments in the area to safeguard the border.

Singh conceded that the LAC boundary issue remains unresolved due to the reluctance of China to recognise the traditional and customary alignment of the border. Furthermore, he added that China is in the illegal occupation of 38,000 sq. km in Ladakh apart from 5,180 sq. km of Indian territory in PoK ceded by Pakistan in 1963. Acknowledging that this is a complex issue, he highlighted that peace and tranquillity in border areas is imperative for the development of the bilateral relationship.

He explained that both sides continued to have a differing perception about the LAC over the last many decades. The LAC faceoff was exacerbated when 20 Indian Army soldiers including a Commanding Officer were martyred in the Galwan Valley on June 15, followed by multiple attempts of provocation by the Chinese side at the end of August. There are friction points in Eastern Ladakh, Gogra, Kongka La and Pangong Lake's north and south banks. 

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