Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday acknowledged that the lack of a ‘mutually acceptable solution' with China is the reason for simmering border tensions in Ladakh. The two countries have held talks at various levels in the wake of a deadly faceoff in mid-June, but the dispute remains unresolved.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh cautioned that “no force on Earth could stop Indian forces from patrolling the country's border,” adding that soldiers had sacrificed their lives (in Ladakh) to “maintain the sanctity of our border”.
Singh was responding to the lawmakers of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's Parliament, on a brief discussion on the faceoff with China in eastern Ladakh since June.
The minister maintained India wants to resolve the current situation through dialogue and had diplomatic and military engagements with China, but they again resorted to provocative military manoeuvres overnight on 29-30 August in an attempt to change the status quo on the South Bank area of Pangong Lake.
The chairman of the Rajya Sabha and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu asked the government to take leaders of all political parties into confidence on the issue of the border standoff with China.
The statement comes against the backdrop of the reports that China has intruded about 8 km on the north bank of Pangong Lake and Indian troops have been restricted from patrolling beyond Finger 4 since April. Traditionally, India used to patrol up…
