NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday said it is still not too late for Prime Minister Modi to retract his ill-advised misstatement at an all-party meeting here on June 19 that "no one has intruded into our territory, no one is present in our territory and none of our posts are in possession of anyone.”
"When India's security is in issue no Prime Minister should hesitate to state facts to build trust. Otherwise the Chinese will use his statement to their advantage which will hurt us persuading our friends globally," said senior Congress leader and former union minister Kapil Sibal.
Sibal lined up official statements that bely the Prime Minister's shocking claim – the Indian ambassador to China, Vikram Misri, stating on June 26 that "India hopes China will realise its responsibility in de-escalation and disengaging by moving back to its side of LAC," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on June 3 admitting that a large number of Chinese soldiers had come across the LAC, On June 17, the External Affairs Minister not only admitted that the Chinese had crossed the LAC but that they had and built structures “in Galwan Valley on our side of the LAC” and again in two statements on June 20 and 25 admitted repeated Chinese incursions in May-June.
China has now intruded into and occupied Indian territory in Depsang Plains up to Y-Junction, 18 kilometres into Indian territory across the LAC. China is now intruding/obstructing Indian patrolling at PP-10, PP-11, PP-11A, PP-12 and PP-13.
Chinese forces are now 7 kilometres short of the Ladhaki town of Burtse on the DBO road. Incidentally, the Y-junction is 25 kilometres from the strategically most important Indian airstrip i.e. Daulat Beg Oldi Airstrip, putting it within artillery range. The DBO Airstrip is the lifeline for army supplies to Siachen as also movement of troops up to Karakoram Pass.
