Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday in Lok Sabha said that no loss of life or any serious injury to Indian soldiers due to the clash at Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh with Chinese troops.
“On Dec 9, in Yangtse area of the Tawang sector, PLA troops encroached upon & attempted to change the status quo. This attempt was tackled by our troops in a determined manner. Our troops bravely stopped PLA from encroaching upon our territory&forced them to go back to their post,” he said.
“In this face-off, few soldiers on both sides suffered injuries. I’d like to tell this House that none of our soldiers died or suffered any serious injury. Due to the timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA soldiers have retreated to their own locations,” he further said.
“I am confident this House will respect capability, valour and commitment of our armed forces,” he remarked.
Speaker Om Birla had adjourned the Lok Sabha till 12 pm on Tuesday amid ruckus by Opposition during Question Hour over the clash between troops of India and China along the Line of Actual Control at the Tawang border in Arunachal Pradesh.
Home minister Amit Shah remarked that till the Modi government is in power, no one can capture one inch of land from India.
Earlier in the day, Members of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha gave notices under Rule 267 and Rule 176 of the Rules of Procedure for the suspension of business to conduct discussion on the December 9 clashes between the forces of India and China at the Tawang border.
The MPs including Ranjeet Ranjan, Randeep Singh Surjewala, L. Hanumanthaiah, Jebi Mather, Jajani Patil, Nasir Hussain, Manish Tewari, Manoj Kumar Jha and Priyanka Chaturvedi are among those who have sought discussion on the issue soon after both the houses assemble for the day.
The MPs have demanded to suspend Zero Hour and relevant rules relating to Question Hour and other businesses of the day to have discussion on the issue which need for immediate measures to combat such aggressions and protect India’s interests along the international border.
The clash near Yangtse along the LAC in the sensitive sector took place last Friday amid the over 30-month border standoff between the two sides in eastern Ladakh.
“On December 9, PLA troops contacted the LAC in Tawang Sector which was contested by own (Indian) troops in a firm and resolute manner. This face-off led to minor injuries to few personnel from both sides,” the Indian Army said in a statement.
“Both sides immediately disengaged from the area. As a follow up of the incident, own (Indian) commander in the area held a flag meeting with his counterpart to discuss the issue in accordance with structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquillity,” it said.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday held a high level meeting with Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and service chiefs.
(This is a breaking story. Keep updating the page for fresher updates.)
