Arunachal CM asks authorities to verify reports of ‘incursion’ by Chinese soldiers

On Wednesday, the state’s BJP MP, Tapir Gao, had claimed that the Chinese soldiers had entered 60-70 km inside India and built a wooden bridge near Chaglagam in Anjaw district.
Arunchal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu (Photo | PTI)
Arunchal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu (Photo | PTI)

GUWAHATI: The Arunachal Pradesh government is verifying reports on the purported incursion by Chinese soldiers in the state’s Anjaw district last month.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Thursday he had asked the Anjaw district authorities to verify the reports.

“I have asked the Deputy Commissioner (District Magistrate) and the Superintendent of Police of Anjaw to sit with the Army and verify,” Khandu told reporters.

“The border, which we share with Tibet-China, is a long border. It is more than 1000 km long. The topography is challenging. There is no road infrastructure there. Sometimes incursions may happen by mistake. However, regarding the case in point, I have no idea if it happened,” he said.

On Wednesday, the state’s BJP MP, Tapir Gao, had claimed that the Chinese soldiers had entered 60-70 km inside India and built a wooden bridge near Chaglagam in Anjaw district which shares a border with China.

“The McMahon line lies around 100 km from Chaglagam. If China has built a bridge at a place 25 km away from Chaglagam, it means they had entered 60-70 km inside our land,” the MP had said.

However, the Army dismissed the reports.

“The area being referred to is the area of Fish Tail. There is a differing perception of the alignment of the LAC, as in many other areas. The terrain is thickly-vegetated and all movements are undertaken on foot along nalas (drains) and streams. During monsoons whenever the nalas are in a spate, temporary bridges are constructed by the patrols for their movement,” the Army had said in a statement.

It added: “It is reiterated that there is no permanent presence of either Chinese soldiers or civilians in the area and surveillance is maintained by our troops”.

Anjaw DM, Dagbom Riba, had also rubbished the reports. He said he had checked it with Army authorities and they said there was no such incident.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com