PLA built a bridge in illegally occupied area, says MEA
NEW DELHI: India lashed out at China on Thursday, accusing it of building a bridge across Pangong Lake in an area it has illegally occupied f or 60 years and describing the tone of a letter sent by a Chinese official to MPS and ministers who attended a meeting on Tibet as unacceptable.
The external affairs ministry also reiterated its rejection of China’s move to rename 15 locations in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, saying that instead of engaging in “such antics”, Beijing should work with
New Delhi to address the friction points in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The criticism from the Indian side followed the government’s prolonged silence on both the construction of the bridge linking the north and south banks of the strategic Pangong Lake and the Chinese embassy official’s unprecedented action of writing directly to ministers and lawmakers who attended a meeting of the recently revived All-party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet.
Both issues had been raised by the opposition, who sought an explanation from the government on the Chinese actions. China’s state-run media had also played up New Year celebrations by People’s Liberation Army troops at Galwan Valley, the scene of a brutal clash in June 2020.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the government has been closely monitoring the construction of the bridge on Pangong Lake by the Chinese side. “This bridge is being constructed in areas that have been under illegal occupation by China for around 60 years now. As you are well aware, India has never accepted such illegal occupation,” he said.
The government has been taking “all necessary steps to ensure that our security interests are fully protected”, Bagchi said.
Referring to the letter written by the Chinese embassy’s political counsellor to Indian MPS and ministers over their participation in the event focused on Tibet, Bagchi said: “The substance, tone and tenor of the letter are inappropriate. The Chinese side should note that India is a vibrant democracy and [the] MPS, as representatives of the people, undertake activities as per their views and beliefs.”
He added, “We expect the Chinese side to refrain from hyping normal activities by [the] MPS and complicate further the situation in our bilateral relations.”
The Tibetan Parliament-inExile and the India Tibet Coordination Office organised dinner reception on December 22 to announce the revival of the AllParty Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet.