Congress to raise Chinese intrusion issue during Parliament session

Tribune News Service

Shubhadeep Choudhury            

New Delhi, December 3

Alleging that the Chinese Army has set up permanent shelters in the northern part of Depsang valley in the Aksai Chin region of Kashmir, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate on Saturday said Congress MPs would raise the issue in the Parliament session commencing from December 7.

“We will raise it every forum, including Parliament,” Shrinate said while addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here. She claimed 200 permanent shelters have been erected by China in areas that are 15 to 18 km across the LAC on the Indian side.

The Congress spokesperson said that unauthorised intrusion by China was posing grave threat to the territorial integrity of India and its safety and security.  She said the shelters set up by the Chinese had temperature control facility so that soldiers could live in these shelters even when the area was gripped by severe cold weather.

Accusing the Modi-led Central government of maintaining “pin-drop silence” on the issue, the Congress leader said neither the Prime Minister, nor the Central Government or the External Affairs Ministry uttered a single word thus far on the intrusion.

Shrinate said besides Depsang, Chinese soldiers could be found on Demchok, too. She said because of the presence of the Chinese, Indian troops were forced to keep away from patrolling at least five points (PP10-PP15) that were earlier controlled by India.

Patrolling areas of the Indian jawans have been turned into buffer zones by the present government, Shrinate said.

The Congress spokesperson said Depsang area was strategically very important since the area was used for movements of tanks for deployment in the upper ridges of the hills and for sending supply to troops posted in the Siachen Glacier.

Showing satellite images, Shrinate said the pictures showed a Chinese Army garrison and divisional headquarter of PLA set up in the area near the Pangong Tso Lake in Ladakh. The images also showed artillery and anti-aircraft gun positions of the Chinese, she said

Lauding the Indian Army for courage and valour, Shrinate said the Chinese could dare to enter Indian territory  despite the Indian Army’s intimidating presence in  the area  was because of the clean chit given to the Chinese by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Even after 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives at the hands of the Chinese in Galwan, Modi had said there was no intrusion by China, she pointed out.

Accusing the Prime Minister of being extremely sensitive with regard to any criticism, she said BJP’s troll army was set on anyone who dared to question the PM. “Modi ji should remember that he was not greater than the territorial integrity of the country”,  Shrinate said.