It’s sheer surrender: Antony on LAC disengagement

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 14

Former Defence Minister AK Antony today alleged that the terms of disengagement in both Galwan valley and Pangong Tso areas and the creation of a buffer zone was a “surrender” of India’s interests. He accused the Centre of appeasing China by “agreeing to dis-engagment on China’s terms”.

Addressing a press conference, he said, “Please understand the gravity of the situation, disengagement is good but it cannot be at the cost of national security.” He asked the government to disclose its plan to restore status quo ante as on April 2020 along the LAC.

“The government is not realising the danger of creating such buffer zones,” he said. The Army had occupied Kailash range in south of Pangong Tso. “In negotiations, we have agreed to withdraw from there. It could have been a bargaining chip,” he said.

“The area between Finger 4 and Finger 8 was disputed and both armies used to patrol it. There had been incidents of jostling among troops of both countries, but India always maintained it claim up to Finger 8,” he said.

Quoting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement in Parliament, he said, “Now, we have agreed to come back to Finger 3.”

“Our Army has a post at Finger 4, why has that been vacated and why has the right to patrol up to Finger 8 been surrendered,” he said.

“Galwan was never a point of dispute. It was always a part and parcel of India. For the first time, a buffer zone has been created there,” he said.

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