Why only selective disengagement in Ladakh, asks Congress

The Congress questioned Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s assertion on the disengagement train between Indian and Chinese troops on the LAC, asking the federal government on why it has backed out from its earlier declare that the Chinese troops shall be faraway from all components of Ladakh settling as an alternative for “selective disengagement” only in Pangong Tso space.

Addressing a press convention on the celebration’s headquarters in Delhi, Congress common secretary Randeep Surjewala stated the Defence Minister seeks to mislead and misinform, with out giving full assurance on Chinese withdrawal from India’s territory in aforementioned areas.

He stated the Modi authorities had thus far claimed that there must be ‘complete disengagement and withdrawal of troops by the Chinese in the entire Ladakh area’.

The Congress chief requested,“​Why is the Modi government then agreeing to a selective disengagement only in Pangong Tso Area and that also by presumably changing the LAC to India’s disadvantage?”

Mr. Singh’s assertion doesn’t give unequivocal assurance of restoration of ‘status quo ante’ as on April, 2020 when the primary Chinese incursions occurred. Even in Pangong Tso Area, India was occupying Finger 4 and was patrolling upto Finger 8 on the North Bank. India’s stance has been clear and unequivocal — LAC is upto Finger 8. As per the Defence Minister’s assertion, Indian troops will withdraw now to Finger 3, the Congress stated.

Mr Surjewala requested,“Is it not tantamount to redrawing the LAC to India’s disadvantage and creating a buffer zone between Finger 3 and Finger 8 on our side of the LAC? Is this not a blatant compromise on India’s territorial integrity?”

The Congress charged the federal government with agreeing to withdraw “our men from the vantage points on Kailash ranges on the southern bank of Pangong Tso area that our forces manage to capture in the last few months”. The Congress demanded an evidence from the federal government on agreeing to go away the dominant positions with none quid professional quo by China.

“​One of the most strategic and provocative incursions into the Indian territory by Chinese is in ‘Depsang Plains’. Chinese have occupied our territory 18 kilometres inside the LAC upto Y-Junction (bottleneck) and are stopping our armed forces from patrolling upto the PP-10, PP-11, PP-11A, PP-12 and PP-13,” Mr Surjewala stated.

He stated, that in contrast to the current capitulation by the Modi authorities, the UPA had efficiently repulsed Chinese troops, after a six-month lengthy stand off in 2013 after they had intruded upto U-junction.