New Delhi: The government of India has rejected China’s claim of sovereignty over the Galwan Valley, where a violent skirmish led to 20 Indian soldiers being killed earlier this week.
Issuing a strong rebuttal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that attempts by Beijing to put up “exaggerated and untenable claims” with regard to Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh region are not acceptable.
“The position with regard to the Galwan Valley area has been historically clear… They are not in accordance with China’s own position in the past,” said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.
China had earlier reiterated that the Galwan Valley was “located on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control”, making an unprecedented claim on an area that has been under India’s control.
PMO clarifies Modi remark:
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a clarification regarding Narendra Modi’s statement at Friday’s all-party meeting that “neither has anyone intruded into the Indian territory nor is anyone inside our territory now… none of our military posts has been captured by anyone.”
The PMO said that the violent faceoff on June 15 took place because China was trying to erect structures “just across the LAC” and did not desist from such actions.
The clarification came in the wake of criticism from the opposition, with Rahul Gandhi accusing the PM of having “surrendered” Indian territory to Chinese.
The PMO said attempts were being made to give a “mischievous interpretation” to the PM’s remarks.
Also Read: LAC Standoff: Galwan Valley Is On Our Side Of The Border, Reiterates China
