LAC stable, PLA transgression firmly contested, says Indian Army

New Delhi, December 16

A week after Indian and Chinese troops clashed at Yangtse, 35 km north-east of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Command chief Lt Gen RP Kalita on Friday said border areas along the country’s northern frontier were “stable” and the Indian armed forces remained “firmly in control”.

He said while there were different perceptions of the Line of Actual Control, there were eight disputed areas acknowledged by the Indian Army as well as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China.

Referring to the clash at Yangtse on December 9, General Kalita said the PLA transgressed in one of these areas in the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh, but the transgression was “very firmly contested” by Indian forces on the ground. General Kalita was speaking to reporters after a solemn wreath ceremony at Fort William, the Eastern Command headquarters, on the 51st Vijay Diwas, marking the victory of Indian armed forces over Pakistan in the 1971 war.

“Would like to assure everybody that the border areas along the northern frontier are stable and we are firmly in control,” General Kalita said. There were minor injuries to soldiers of both sides, he said, adding that local commanders were able to resolve the issue by carrying out negotiations as per the existing protocols. “It led to some amount of physical violence, but it was contained at the local level with the existing bilateral mechanisms and protocols,” the Eastern Command chief said.

To a question whether there was any incursion by China, the General said: “The short answer is no.” “We are prepared for all eventualities and all contingencies,” he said.

General Kalita said in the last 10-15 years there had been a huge focus on infrastructure development, particularly in the border areas, which would enhance the Indian armed forces’ operational capabilities.

No fresh PLA infra in Doklam: Lt Gen

There’s no fresh construction of infrastructure by China at Doklam, said Lt Gen RP Kalita, the statement coming amid media reports relating to construction of a ropeway by the PLA

Oppn ruckus in RS

Rajya Sabha was adjourned till noon on Friday as Opposition MPs marched into the Well of the House after their demand to discuss the China issue was rejected by the Chair