Congress flays govt over handling of LAC standoff

New Delhi, May 6

A day before the polling for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress recalled the clashes between Indian and Chinese troops at Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh as the party’s general secretary Jairam Ramesh launched a scathing attack on PM Narendra Modi-led government of playing directly into the hands of the Chinese and failing to address the escalating tension along the India-China border.

The party said accountability should be fixed for the handling of the border situation and questioned whether the government had surrendered to Chinese control over area in Depsang and Demchok.

On the fourth anniversary of the incident, Ramesh highlighted the fatal engagement in Galwan on June 15, 2020, in which 20 Indian soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice.

He criticised the PM for saying “no one has intruded into our territory, nor is anyone intruding”. Ramesh described the statement as a profound insult to the fallen soldiers and a legitimisation of the Chinese control over 2,000 sq km land in eastern Ladakh.

Despite 21 rounds of military talks in four years, Ramesh said, the situation remained unfavourable. He cited Leh Superintendent of Police’s report that revealed that the Indian troops were unable to access 26 out of 65 patrolling points that they could reach prior to May 5, 2020.