Indian and Chinese troops have clashed in eastern Ladakh since May.
New Delhi:
China does not have a locus standi to comment on India’s internal affairs, New Delhi said today, reacting to Beijing’s comments after the opening of 44 bridges in border areas on Monday.
“The Union Territories of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir have been, are and will continue to be an integral part of India,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava.
“Our position on Arunachal Pradesh has also been made clear several times. Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India. This fact has also been clearly conveyed to the Chinese side on several occasions, even at the highest level,” he added.
China, after Defense Minister Rajnath Singh opened a series of new bridges near the border on Monday, said it “does not recognize the Ladakh Union territory illegally established by India and Arunachal Pradesh.” Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, called the development of border infrastructure “the root cause of the tension between the two sides” and said that no country should take measures that could increase tensions.
“On the basis of consensus, neither of the two should take measures along the border that may aggravate the situation, that is, to avoid undermining the efforts of the two sides to alleviate the situation. We urge the Indian side to implement Seriously our consensus and refrain from actions that may escalate the situation and take concrete measures to safeguard peace and tranquility along the border, “Zhao had said.
On Beijing criticizing construction in the border areas as the root cause of the tension, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said: “The government has focused on creating infrastructure in the country to improve the livelihoods and economic well-being of its people. The government pays particular attention to improving infrastructure in border areas for economic development and to meet India’s strategic and security requirements. “
New Delhi said it hopes that “countries will not comment on the internal affairs of India, much as they expect the same from others.” As for restoring peace and tranquility in the border areas, said the Foreign Ministry spokesman, the best way to achieve this is “scrupulously following all the agreements in their entirety.”
The new bridges, including eight in Ladakh and eight in Arunachal Pradesh, will facilitate faster movement of troops and weapons closer to the border, officials say.
Indian and Chinese troops have engaged in a clash in eastern Ladakh since May and the tension peaked in June when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the line of duty in a clash with the Chinese in the Galwan Valley. Last month, shots were fired into the air more than once when the two armies came face to face in Pangong Tso.
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