Def Min not revealing if status quo ante has been restored on LAC: Owaisi

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is not revealing if the status quo ante pre-April 2020 has been restored on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), said All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday.

"The Defence Minister is not revealing if status quo ante pre-April 2020 has been restored on the LAC. What is the meaning of disengagement? Indian Army used to do patrolling at finger 8 (on Pangong Tso) and now he is saying that the Army will do patrolling at finger 4. What is the meaning of this?," Owaisi told ANI outside Parliament when asked about Singh's statement in Lok Sabha on the 'present situation in Eastern Ladakh'.

 

"He (Rajnath Singh) is not telling anything about Depsang, Demchok and Galwan. The government always continued to say that talks will be held for the entire Ladakh and now the talks and now talking about south and north of Pangong lake," Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP added.

Further commenting upon Singh's statement in Lok Sabha on the 'present situation in Eastern Ladakh', Owaisi said, "The government used to say that our soldiers are on a strategic point at Kailash range. Why do you vacate now? Did China also vacate somewhere? He was not able to answer this."

Noting that India's firm resolve to not allow an inch of its territory to be taken by anyone had led to an agreement with China concerning disengagement from Pangong Lake area, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday said that "outstanding issues relating to deployment on LAC and patrolling" will figure in future talks with the neighbouring country.

Making a statement in Lok Sabha on 'present situation in Eastern Ladakh', the minister said the agreement for disengagement in Pangong lake area envisages that both sides will cease their forward deployments in "a phased, coordinated and verified manner".

He said the Chinese side will keep its troop presence in the North Bank area to east of Finger 8.

"Indian troops will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3. Similar action would be taken in the South Bank area by both sides," the minister said.

Defence Minister said it has also been agreed to convene the next meeting of the Senior Commanders within 48 hours after the complete disengagement in the Pangong Lake area so as to address and resolve all other remaining issues.

The two countries have been a stand-off along the LAC since April-May last year due to actions of Chinese army and have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks.