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Document on China aggression vanishes from ministry site

Last Updated 07 August 2020, 01:55 IST

A defence ministry document that took note of the “Chinese aggression” along the Line of Actual Control – the disputed boundary between India and China – and particularly in the Galwan valley has disappeared from the website of the Ministry of Defence, two days after its publication.

“Chinese aggression has been increasing along the LAC and more particularly in Galwan valley since May 5, 2020. The Chinese side has transgressed in the areas of Kungrang Nala, Gogra and north bank of Pangong Tso Lake on May 17-18,” said the document titled Major Activities of the Department of Defence in June 2020.

The note also mentioned that “the situation in eastern Ladakh arising from unilateral aggression by China continues to be sensitive and requires close monitoring and prompt action based on the evolving situation.”

This is probably one of the rare official admission of Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s aggressive behaviour in Ladakh that snowballed into a major crisis between the two nations overshadowing the Doklam stand-off in 2017.

But the document suddenly disappeared from the official website on Thursday, raising eyebrows in the corridors of the power besides attracting political criticism.

"Forget standing up to China, India’s PM lacks the courage even to name them. Denying China is in our territory and removing documents from websites won’t change the facts,” tweeted Rahul Gandhi, Congress past president.

Similar documents depicting the major activities of the Department of Defence every month since January 2020 are available on the Defence Ministry website. Only the one for June 2020 is missing.

The document took note of the two Corps Commander meetings on June 6 and June 22 as well as the violent clash on June 15 that led to "casualties on both sides."

"While engagement and dialogue at military and diplomatic level is continuing to arrive at mutually acceptable consensus, the present standoff is likely to be prolonged," it said.

Three more rounds of Corps Commander level meetings took place in July-August with no major breakthrough. The PLA troops continue to occupy Indian territory on the northern banks of Pangong Tso as well as in parts of Galwan valley and the Depsang bulge, north of Galwan.

The fifth and last such meeting between Lt Gen Harinder Singh, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 14 Corps of the Indian Army and Maj Gen Liu Lin of the Chinese PLA took place on Sunday at the Chushul-Moldo point on LAC.

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(Published 06 August 2020, 13:12 IST)

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