Defence ministry refutes Rahul’s charge of India ceding territory to China

NEW DELHI: The defence ministry rebutted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim that India had “ceded” territory to China during disengagement, saying India, in fact, ensured “observance and respect” for the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

The strongly-worded government statement came hours after Rahul alleged Indian forces had moved back from the ‘Finger 4’ to ‘Finger 3’ area on the north bank of Pangong Tso. “Finger 4 is our territory, that is where our post used to be. Why has the PM given up Indian territory to the Chinese?” Rahul said.

Refuting this, the defence ministry said India, on the contrary, “prevented any unilateral change” in status quo and added the LAC was at Finger 8, and not 4, according to the Indian perception. “That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China,” it said.

India has not “conceded” any territory at Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh under the disengagement pact with China, the defence ministry asserted on Friday, even as the mutual pullback of troops from both sides of the lake is proceeding at a faster than expected pace.

The strongly-worded MoD statement came hours after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government had “ceded” Indian territory to the Chinese in the Pangong Tso area.

Refuting this, the MoD said India, on the contrary, has enforced “observance and respect” for the LAC and “prevented any unilateral change” in the status quo. “The assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 is categorically false. The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962,” it said.

The MoD went on to add that even the LAC, according to the Indian perception, was at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. “That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China,” it said.

Indian soldiers are now pulling back westwards in phases to their Dhan Singh Thapa post between Fingers 2 and 3, while PLA troops are withdrawing to their old positions east of Finger 8, with the 10-km stretch in between set to be designated a temporary ‘no-patrol area’, as was earlier reported by TOI.

The MoD, on its part, said the permanent posts of both India and China on Pangong Tso’s north bank were long-standing and well-established. “The current agreement provides for cessation of forward deployment by both sides and continued deployment at these permanent posts,” it said.

The MoD also confirmed that “outstanding issues”, including the strategically-located Depsang Plains, Gogra and Hot Springs, will be taken up for discussion in the next round of corps commander-level talks within 48 hours of the disengagement being completed in Pangong Tso.

Though the factual position had already been communicated by defence minister Rajnath Singh in Parliament on Thursday, the MoD said it was necessary to set the record straight to counter “some misinformed and misleading comments being amplified” in the media and social media. “Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them,” it said.