India-China Standoff: ‘Not Conceded Any Territory’, Ministry Of Defence Rebuts Rahul Gandhi’s Accusations

India-China Standoff: The ministry said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s “statement in parliament made it clear that there are outstanding problems to be addressed.

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers guard a highway leading towards Leh, bordering China, in Gagangir | AFP

Taking note of some misinformed and misleading comments being amplified in the media and on social media regarding the disengagement currently underway at Pangong Tso, the Ministry of Defence on Friday said India has not conceded any territory to China and there are differences yet to be resolved.

“India has not conceded any territory as a result of this agreement. On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo,” the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement.

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The ministry said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s made it clear in his Parliament address that there are "outstanding problems to be addressed". 

“The outstanding issues are to be taken up within 48 hrs of the completion of the Pangong Tso disengagement,” the ministry added in its statement.

The Defence Ministry pointed out that “effective safeguarding of our national interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the Government has reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces”. 

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Asserting it is necessary to set the record straight and counter certain instances of wrongly understood information being amplified in media and social media, the ministry said: “The assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 is categorically false. The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962.”

“Even the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China,” the ministry added.

The Defence Ministry’s rebuttal came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi fired a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged he has “not fulfilled the responsibility of protecting India’s territory” and has instead ceded territory to China.

Gandhi’s outburst against Prime Minister Modi came after India and China reached an agreement on disengagement in the North and South bank of Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh.