Srinagar: Two days after the Prime of India Narendra Modi’s August 15, address, the former Defence Minister and senior Congress leader AK Antony, has accused Modi of skirting in his address to the nation and reminded him of his promises including restoring of ‘status quo ante’ in eastern Ladakh and of bypassing the assurance that India will reclaim every inch from the china.
According to a report by Economic Times, the Congress leader has accused the GoI of “shelving the Mountain Strike Corps” started by the UPA regime to combat Chinese aggression and “risking a Pakistani capture of the Siachen Glacier” by letting “crucial parts of Galwan Valley” continue to be under Chinese “illegal occupation”.
“I was thoroughly disappointed by the prime minister not assuring the nation during his Independence Day address about restoring status quo ante in eastern Ladakh as prevailed in mid-February,” the report quoted Antony as saying.
“The Galwan Valley is strategically very important for India. If we lose our control on the Galwan Valley, there is a danger of Pakistan capturing the Siachen Glacier with the help of China and that is why in 2010, the UPA government started building the strategic road to the Galwan Valley. But the Chinese are now disputing our sovereignty on Galwan Valley. And, the government is risking a Pakistani capture of the Siachen Glacier by letting crucial parts of Galwan Valley to continue to be under Chinese illegal occupation,” the Congress leader said.
Antony said despite China’s claim that it was Indian armed forces personnel who crossed the Line of Actual Control (LAC), resulting in the killing of 20 Indian forces personnel, why is Narendra Modi silent on the statement by China. He said that Galwan valley was neither targeted by the Chinese PLA during the 1962 war nor was it part of the 23 major and minor disputed areas in Eastern Ladakh.
Criticising the GoI over the creation of a ‘buffer zone’ in Galwan Valley, he said: “a dangerous situation has been created by agreeing to a buffer zone for disengagement of Indian and Chinese forces in Galwan Valley.
Antony, according to the report, demanded that GoI must clarify whether the Indian armed forces personnel are still patrolling all the patrolling points they have been doing in eastern Ladakh till mid-February, or not.
“Crucial parts of Galwan Valley have now come under Chinese illegal control. India has lost patrolling right up to Patrol Point 14. In Pangong lake, the Chinese PLA has encroached 8 km of Indian territory with no mood to go back. The PLA has encroached in Gogra, Depsang and a few other points. Yet, the PM is not only silent about these Chinese occupations but is no more even talking about restoring the status quo ante of mid-February,” ET quoted Antony as having said.
The senior Congress leader also demanded that Narendra Modi led government must clarify on; “why the Mountain Strike Corps have been shelved? Whether the Indian Army is still patrolling all the points they used to patrol till mid-February? What are the steps being taken to restore status quo ante in Eastern Ladakh as prevailed in mid-February?”
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