Congress: Modi’s LAC comments endorsed Chinese position

Stepping up the offensive against the government on the Ladakh standoff, the Congress on Sunday alleged PM Modi had “endorsed the Chinese position” by saying there was no intrusion into Indian territory.

Congress leader and former Union minister Kapil Sibal said the government should not remain in denial. It should not back down till the Chinese retreat and status quo ante is restored at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the defacto border between India and China.

At an all-party meeting on Friday to discuss the situation along the India-China border, Modi had said: “Na wahan koi hamari seema mein ghusa hua hai, na hi hamari koi post kisi dusre ke kabze mein hain (Neither is anyone inside our territory nor is any of our post captured).” The PM’s remarks triggered massive criticism, with the Congress accusing him of surrendering Indian territory to China. It asked where the 20 Indian soldiers were killed if the Chinese military did not come to the Indian side of the LAC. “When China violated the LAC and staked claim on the Galwan Valley and you (PM Modi) said no one intruded into Indian territory, you are yourself saying what China is,” Sibal said at a virtual press meet. “Has not the PM in a way endorsed the Chinese position that they never intruded into our territories. The PM must explain.” Sibal asked if the PM’s statement wasn’t an affront to the valour and supreme sacrifice of the soldiers who sought to evict the Chinese from Indian territory in the Galwan Valley.

Let no one in the central govt remain in denial. Until the Chinese retreat and status quo ante is restored, our govt should not let up or appear to cede any part of these territories to the Chinese. — Kapil Sibal, Cong leader