NEW DELHI: Seeking to put a lid over the controversy sparked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement at the all-party meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday said “attempts are being made in some quarters to give a mischievous interpretation” to his remarks. At the meeting on Friday, Modi said “neither is anyone inside our territory nor is any of our post captured,” adding that “20 of our brave soldiers made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in Ladakh.”
This was interpreted in many circles, political and otherwise, that Modi was denying any transgression and that he had ceded India’s land to the Chinese by recognizing the status quo as it is widely believed that Chinese troops are still occupying Indian territory. “What is Indian territory is clear from the map of India. This Government is strongly and resolutely committed to that,” the PMO stated.
Maintaining India’s position that it was the Chinese who had crossed the line of actual control, the PMO said there was an “attempted transgression” in the Galwan Valley by the Chinese in order to erect structures on June 15. This was foiled by the Indian army, which also gave a “befitting lesson” to the Chinese troops. “As regards transgression of LAC, it was clearly stated that the violence on June 15 arose because Chinese side was seeking to erect structures just across the LAC and refused to desist from such actions,” the PMO stated.
But the Chinese designs were nixed because of the “sacrifices of the soldiers,” it said. The statement said the PM’s “observations that there was no Chinese presence on our side of the LAC pertained to the situation as a consequence of the bravery of our armed forces.”
“The sacrifices of the soldiers of the 16 Bihar Regiment foiled the attempt of the Chinese side to erect structures and also cleared the attempted transgression at this point of the LAC on that day,” the PMO stated.
Reacting to the clarification, the opposition parties took a dig at the government. “The PMO’s statement is clearly a lame attempt to obfuscate the truth. First of all, the PMO and the government need to clearly state their position. Is Galwan Valley not part of Indian territory?” the Congress asked. CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said “Modi should first make up his mind and then speak unless his attempt was to mislead all the political parties and weaken our position in diplomatic talks.”
But many experts did not agree with the Opposition. BR Deepak, a sinologist and chairperson of the Centre for Chinese and South Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University said “the clarification issued was a strongly-worded one. It is a sign that India will stand up to the Chinese and also a sign that both sides do not want to escalate things.” Lt Gen V K Chaturvedi (retired) appeared to concur. “In all such cases when the person at that position is speaking then every aspect is well studied and only then is it articulated for wider consumption.”
NEW IAF OFFICERS get direct postings
In a departure from the convention on Saturday, newly commissioned IAF officers were sent directly to their places of posting.
“It is going to add to the working hands of the force which is on alert after the LAC standoff,” an officer said. A total of 123 flight cadets, 61 officers joined the flying branch with 62 being inducted into IAF’s ground duty branches. “These officers are at the peak of their morale and fitness. They would be ably supporting in the situation.” The Army also has sent its 333 newly commissioned officers from IMA directly to their places of posting on June 13