Deccan Herald : Sep 17, 2020, 02:08 PM
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that China continues to be in illegal occupation of approximately 38,000 sq kms in the Union Territory of Ladakh."China also claims approximately 90,000 sq kms of Indian territory in the Eastern Sector of the India-China boundary in Arunachal Pradesh," Singh said. He added that Chinese actions reflect a disregard of various bilateral agreements and the amassing of the troops by China goes against the 1993 and 1996 Agreements. Respecting and strictly observing Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the basis for peace and tranquility in the border areas, the minister said.The defence minister added that India and China have different perceptions of the LAC. The defence minister while briefing the members of the Upper House recalled that on June 15, Colonel Santosh Babu, along with his 19 brave soldiers, made the supreme sacrifice in Galwan Valley towards the cause of defending the territorial integrity of India. "Our PM himself went to Ladakh to boost morale of forces," he said. "Conduct of our armed forces throughout these incidents shows that while they maintained 'Sayyam' in face of provocative actions, they also equally displayed 'Shaurya' when required to protect territorial integrity of India," Singh said.Rajnath Singh said that China in last many decades undertook significant infrastructure construction activity to enhance their deployment capabilities in the border areas. The Indian government too has stepped up the budget for border infrastructure development to about double the previous levels, he added. He further said that under the so-called Sino-Pakistan 'Boundary Agreement' of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq km of Indian territory in Pakistan occupied Kashmir to China.