No intrusion by Chinese troops in Leh's Demchok: Army chief

Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Saturday dismissed reports of intrusion by Chinese troops in Demchok area of Leh in Jammu and Kashmir.

"There has been no intrusion," he told media persons on the sidelines of an event to mark the completion of 20 years of Kargil war.

Recent media reports had suggested that around 10 people were seen waving banners from the Chinese side, which read "ban all activity to split Tibet" during a local festival on the Indian side to mark the Dalai Lama's birthday on July 6.

General Rawat said, "Celebrations were underway on our side by some Tibetans in Demchok sector. Based on that, to see what was happening, some Chinese also came opposite. Everything is normal."

"Chinese come and patrol their perceived line of actual control, which we try and prevent them. We try and attempt to reach out to our line of actual control which has been given to us," he further said.

On being asked whether they were civilians or the troops of the Chinese Army, he said whenever civilians go near the line of actual control, soldiers accompany them.

"They were civilians who came in and obviously when civilians come in the Chinese [soldiers] will accompany them. Nobody would want civilians on the border without their activity being monitored. Both sides will continue to monitor the activity of civilians along the LAC and even LoC," he said.