Ladakh disengagement is akin to surrendering to China: Antony

NEW DELHI: Former defence minister AK Antony alleged on Sunday that disengagement by Indian and Chinese soldiers from Galwan valley and Pangong Tso in the Ladakh theatre amounted to a “surrender” by India and cautioned that the process “should not be at the cost of national security”.

The Congress leader also maintained that “in a situation, if China wants to create mischief, China can help Pakistan to capture Siachen Valley”.

After the defence ministry said outstanding problems with the Chinese army at Depsang, Hot Springs and Gogra — friction points on the contested border in eastern Ladakh — will be tackled after full disengagement by rival soldiers in the Pangong Tso area and claimed that India did not cede any territory to China, Antony and Congress’s communication head Randeep Surjewala said “disengagement and buffer zone means surrender of our land.” “The border disengagement is at what terms and what cost? That is important. These both disengagements- Galwan disengagement and also Pangong Tso lake, is surrender. Disengagement is good, releasing tension is good, but it should not be at the cost of national security,” said Antony. The ministry also rejected Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that the PM had given away Indian land to the Chinese.

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the agreement was reached after several rounds of sustained negotiations at the military and diplomatic levels. But Antony contested the claims. “Everybody thought the government would protect our territory... but disengagement was there and they created a buffer zone. Result was the Chinese army was there, already on their permanent location, they did not go back, but Indian army was withdrawn from our patrolling point to create buffer zone.”