The denial came just one day after Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had confirmed that Chinese troops were still present at Doklam.
Contradictions emerged on the Doklam issue, as the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed reports that Chinese troops were still present there and termed them as “inaccurate” and “mischievious.” The denial came just one day after Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had confirmed that Chinese troops were still present at Doklam.
In a statement on Thursday, Raveesh Kumar, the official spokesperson of the MEA, dismissed reports of Chinese troops re-gathering, saying the status quo at the site has not been altered. “Subsequently, in response to repeated questions about any change in the status quo at the face-off site, government had stated that there was no basis for such imputations. Government would once again reiterate that the status quo at the face-off site has not been altered,” he said.
The statement however seems to contradict what General Rawat had said just a day earlier, at a geo-political conference in the Capital. In his address at the conference, General Rawat stated that Chinese tents, and observation posts still existed in Doklam. He also did not rule out the possibility of Chinese movement again after winter.
“Doklam is divided into south and north. PLA troops are still present in the northern part. Have seen large number of guns, tanks and troop movement in other areas also,” the Army Chief had said. Interestingly, over the last three days, the Army Chief has twice confirmed that the Chinese were carrying out some infrastructure development in the disputed region.
The issue also triggered a political slugfest between the BJP and the Congress, with the former accusing the latter of practicing “selfish politics” and sacrificing the “national interest.” Speaking to the media BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni said, “Its (Congress) leaders’ love for China have become very visible of late. When Indian Army was confronting the Chinese army in Doklam, its president Rahul Gandhi was having a meal with Chinese diplomats in a secretive meeting,” Baluni told reporters.
The BJP’s response came after the Congress had accused Prime Minister Modi and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj of misleading the nation over Chinese troops occupying the Doklam plateau thus compromising national security and strategic interests. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala released a satellite image of the area which he claimed showed that China had set up military establishments in Doklam near the border
“The ruling BJP are so consumed in headlines management, false bravado and self-promotion they have conveniently forgotten that this serious issue of national security exists,” Surjewala said.
WHY DOKLAM’S IN THE NEWS
Recently released satellite images show massive, full-fledged Chinese military complexes are being built at the face-off point. The images suggest the Chinese had never stopped construction in Doklam, which is a narrow plateau lying in the tri-junction region of Bhutan, India and China. While Doklam is a disputed territory claimed by both Bhutan and China, it has strategic significance for India, as it is just 15 km southeast of Nathu La pass in Sikkim, and connects the state with Tibet.
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