PMO’s statement a lame attempt to obfuscate truth: Congress

New Delhi Terming the statement by the Prime Minister’s office as ‘a lame attempt to obfuscate the truth on the India China border situation, the Congress on Saturday said the recent statements by the Defence Minister and the External Affairs Ministry ‘unmistakably point to the presence of Chinese troops at several places in the Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso Area.

In a statement, AICC media in-charge Randeep Surjewala said the PMO’s statement belittles the gravity of the situation on the India-China LAC.

Noting that the statement by the PMO implied that there was one intrusion on June 15 and it was repulsed, Mr Surjewala said, ”In the fourth paragraph, PMO’s statement says that with reference to the “events of 15 June at Galwan” the armed forces “repulsed the designs of the Chinese there. The Prime Minister’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.” Clearly, the implication is that there was one intrusion on June 15 and it was repulsed.

The PMO’s statement is clearly a lame attempt to obfuscate the truth.The PMO’s statement belittles the gravity of the situation on the India-China LAC. Security Experts, Army Generals and Satellite Imagery have confirmed not only one intrusion on June 15, 2020 but several intrusions into and occupation of Indian territory in the Ladakh area.”

”PMO and the Government need to clearly state their position on the Galwan Valley. Is Galwan Valley not part of Indian territory? Why is Government not coming forward and strongly rebutting the Chinese claim over Galwan Valley? If Chinese troops are present there, does it not amount to intrusion into and occupation of Indian territory? Also, why is the Government silent on intrusions in the Pangong Tso area?,” Surjewala said.

Surjewala said that the recent statements by the Defence Minister and the External Affairs ministry ‘ unmistakably point to the presence of Chinese troops at several places in the Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso Area’.

”We refer to several statements of the Defence Minister admitting to the presence of Chinese forces “in large numbers” and the statement of the Chief of Army Staff on “disengagement”.

The Government has consistently demanded “restoration of status quo ante”. We also refer to the statement of MEA dated June 7 that both sides agreed to “resolve the situation in the border areas” and called for an “early resolution”. If there was no other intrusion into Indian territory, how were the Chinese present “in large numbers” or why was restoration of “status quo ante” being demanded or “disengagement” and “early resolution” being sought?

We also refer to the statement of MEA dated June 17, 2020 that referred to the agreement reached on June 6 on “disengagement” and “de-escalation”. The June 17 statement also said “the Chinese side sought to erect a structure in Galwan Valley on our side of the LAC.”

If Chinese troops are not present in Indian territory, why is the MEA harping on disengagement and de-escalation as late as on June 17, 2020? All these unmistakably point to the presence of Chinese troops at several places in the Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso Area that have to be brought under “disengagement” and “de-escalation”,” Surjewala said.

”Our information is that no such disengagement has been completed by the Chinese and, in view of their illegal claim to the whole of Galwan Valley, the onus lies on the Government to protect our territorial integrity,” he said and urged upon the Prime Minister to follow ‘Raj Dharma’ and rise to the challenge of protecting ‘National Security’ and ‘Territorial Integrity.

Earlier, the PMO took strong exception to attempts being made ”to give a mischievous interpretation to remarks by the Prime Minister at the All-Party Meeting”, and said that the PM had made it clear at the all party meeting that India would respond firmly to any attempts to transgress the Line of Actual Control (LAC)’.

”Attempts are being made in some quarters to give a mischievous interpretation to remarks by the Prime Minister at the All-Party Meeting (APM) yesterday.

Prime Minister was clear that India would respond firmly to any attempts to transgress the Line of Actual Control (LAC). In fact, he specifically emphasized that in contrast to the past neglect of such challenges, Indian forces now decisively counter any violations of LAC (“unhe rokte hain, unhe tokte hain”),’ ‘the PMO said in response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim that India “surrendered to the Chinese aggression”.

(Agencies)