Rajnath to visit Ladakh Friday to assess military preparedness
ARMY CHIEF GENERAL MM NARAVANE DURING HIS FIRST VISIT TO LADAKH AFTER THE STAND-OFF BETWEEN THE INDIAN AND CHINESE ARMIES
NEWDELHI:DEFENCE minister Rajnath Singh will visit Ladakh on Friday to review military preparedness and take stock of the developments along the Line of Actual Control, people aware of the developments said on Wednesday, as India and China work on a framework to disengage at the border after a deadly clash last month.
Singh will be accompanied by Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane during his first visit to Ladakh after the stand-off between the Indian and Chinese armies began in May.
The government’s high-powered China Study Group (CSG) on Wednesday reviewed the latest developments in eastern Ladakh, with focus on the next stage of disengagement between the Indian and Chinese armies following a 14-hour meeting between senior military commanders from both sides at Chushul to discuss the road map for reducing tensions along the LAC, people familiar with the developments said.
Singh will also visit forward areas in Jammu and Kashmir on July 18, an official said on condition of anonymity. Naravane will accompany the minister.
The military is keeping a strict vigil on the western front to deter Pakistan and prevent what could turn out to be a two-front conflict, as reported by HT on July 2.
The minister will be in Ladakh two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled visit to the sector on July 3. The PM then declared that the “era of expansionism” is over, sending a strong signal to China about India’s determination to defend its borders.