India to protest violation of airspace by China

India on Monday termed the recent airspace violation by two Chinese military helicopters as “unacceptable” and said it would take up the issue with the communist nation.

“This is the first such airspace violation. We can understand ground incursion...It can be a mistake. But this is unacceptable. We will take it up with Beijing,” said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, while addressing a press conference.

Her comment came on a day when Beijing sought to defend the airspace violation by calling it “regular patrol”. A spokesperson of the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs also noted that India and China had disputes over boundaries. Two Chinese military helicopters were seen hovering over Barahoti in the Chamoli district of
Uttarakhand on Saturday.

Earlier, soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army of China have transgressed into Indian territory at Barahoti and other areas in Uttarakhand.

New Delhi has sought to play down such transgressions. The government in the past argued that such transgressions happened due to differing perceptions over the alignment of the Line of Actual Control, which serves as the de facto boundary between India and China in the absence of a settled boundary.