- The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is pointing the finger at Indian troops along the
Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh for firing "gunshot threats". - The Indian Army has hit back saying, "At no stage has the Indian Army transgressed across the LAC or resorted to use of any aggresive means, including firing."
- The incident occurred on Monday night, ahead of Jaishankar’s trip to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting between September 9 to 11 where he is likely to meet his Chinese counterpart.
- According to him, the situation along the border is "very, very serious" and will need "deep conversations" at a "political level".
- The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also called out China Daily for publishing misinformation attributed to India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
This claim comes ahead of Indian Foreign Minister
China $4 that Indian troops fired “gunshot threats” around Shenpao Mountain near the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake, which forced the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to take countermeasures.
The Indian Army, on the other hand, contests this statement with its own. "While India is committed to disengagement & de-escalating situation on the LAC, China continues to undertake provocative activities to escalate. At no stage has the Indian Army transgressed across the LAC or resorted to use of any aggressive means, including firing," it said.
According to them, it was the PLA who look the first shot and fired a few rounds in the air to order to intimidate the Indian side. "However, despite the grave provocation, own troops exercised great restraint and behaved in a mature and responsible manner," said the Indian Army.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also called out China Daily for publishing misinformation. China's state run publication claimed that India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval asserted that "the army is ready for a long-drawn standoff with China."
"These reports are completely false and are not based in facts," the MEA said in a statement.
The fresh skrishmish comes within a week of India having ‘$4’ China’s plans to unilaterally change the status quo in the same area.
“We request the Indian side to immediately stop dangerous actions, immediately withdraw cross-line personnel, strictly restrain front-line troops and strictly investigate and punish personnel who fired shots to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again,” said $4 of the PLA’s Western Theater Command in a statement.
Foreign ministers from India and China to meet in Moscow on September 9
According to Jaishankar, “The state of the border cannot be delinked from the state of the relationship.” In an interview with $4, he stated that if peace and tranquility along the border aren’t a given, then it cannot be that the rest of the relationship continues on the same basis.
Jaishankar will be travelling to Moscow for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meet between September 9 to 11. He acknowledged the current situation along the border as “very serious” and calls for “very, very deep conversations” at a “political level”.
India and China’s shared border is defined by the Finger Area — mountainous ridges that jut out onto the lake — along Pangong Tso Lake. According to India, the border between the two nations lies at Finger 8 while China puts it at Finger 2. Therefore, the area between Finger 8 and Finger 2 remains disputed.
Currently, the Chinese PLA $4 have control of the ridgeline at Finger 4 while the Indian Army is dominating the other strategic heights along the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso Lake.
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