New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that China was constructing a key bridge across the Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh, and took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying that he "may go to inaugurate even this bridge".
Rahul Gandhi also questioned PM Modi's "silence" on the issue and said it was emboldening the spirits of the Chinese army.
Taking to Twitter, the Congress leader said, "China is building a strategic bridge in our country. The PLA's spirits are being emboldened due to the silence of the PM. Now, the fear is the PM may go to inaugurate even this bridge."
Rahul Gandhi also shared purported satellite photographs of the bridge that connects the north and south banks of Pangong Tso Lake in eastern Ladakh.
Gandhi has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government over their handling of the border dispute with China in eastern Ladakh.
India 'Closely' Monitoring Reports Of China Building Bridge On Pangong Lake: MEA
Earlier this month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the bridge was being constructed in areas that have been under Beijing’s illegal occupation for around 60 years. The MEA said it was closely monitoring reports of China building a bridge on Pangong Lake.
The MEA official spokesperson said that the Indian government was taking all necessary steps to ensure “our security interests” are fully protected.
The people familiar with the development said that the satellite imagery is of an area on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near the Galwan valley region, PTI reported.
The news agency quoted sources as saying that the bridge was at a distance of around 40 km from the alignment of the LAC in the region.
China has been focusing on strengthening its military infrastructure after the Indian troops took control of several strategic peaks on the southern bank of Pangong lake earlier in August 2020 following the Chinese PLA’s attempt to intimidate them in the area.
The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the armies of India and China erupted on May 5, 2020, after a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.
Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers along with heavy weaponry.
Last year, both sides completed the disengagement process in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area as a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks.