The Congress on August 14 sought clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over reports that Chinese troops had restricted the movement of Indian forces at some locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked whether the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had increased its presence near Taksing and whether Indian troops had lost regular access to Shera-5, a designated Patrolling Point. Describing the reports as disturbing, he demanded an immediate response from the government.
Kharge said the Congress had full confidence in the Indian Armed Forces and stood firmly with soldiers facing any Chinese aggression. He also questioned whether Indian troops were being prevented from patrolling the sensitive sector during winter while Chinese forces remained present throughout the year.
He raised concerns over reports that traditional grazing and hunting grounds had become inaccessible to local communities and questioned whether the pre-May 2020 status quo in eastern Ladakh had been fully restored. Kharge demanded that Parliament be informed about the situation and asserted that India should retain access to all areas and Patrolling Points it accessed before May 2020.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had raised similar concerns a day earlier, alleging that Chinese forces had stopped Indian troops from patrolling certain areas along the Arunachal LAC and accusing the government of withholding the information.
The government has not issued a specific response to the allegations or confirmed any such development in Arunachal Pradesh. The Ministry of External Affairs had said on Tuesday that India viewed matters concerning its border areas with China as “most serious” and stressed that peace and tranquillity along the LAC remained of utmost importance to bilateral relations.
The statements came amid reports of increased Chinese military activity in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri region. China said on Wednesday that the situation along the India-China border was generally stable, while declining to comment on reports of increased military activity near Arunachal Pradesh.
