Yangtse face-off: Army compelled Chinese troops to return, says Rajnath

IAF closely monitoring situation along LAC; Oppn says govt hiding truth

The Indian Army bravely thwarted an attempt by the Chinese PLA from "unilaterally" changing the status quo in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament on Tuesday. There were no fatalities or serious injuries to Indian troops in the scuffle, he said.

In a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha, Singh said Indian troops confronted the attempt in a "firm and resolute manner", and Chinese personnel went back to their locations due to the timely intervention of Indian commanders.

He also made an identical statement in the Rajya Sabha.

Singh's statement came a day after the Indian Army said troops from two sides clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector and the face-off led to "minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides".

"On December 9, PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in the Yangtse area of the Tawang sector and unilaterally change the status quo. The Chinese attempt was contested by our troops in a firm and resolute manner," Singh said.

"The ensuing face off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts," he said.

Singh said the scuffle led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides.

"I wish to share with this House that there are no fatalities or serious casualties on our side. Due to the timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA soldiers went back to their locations," the defence minister said.

Singh said as a follow up of the incident, the local commander of the Indian Army in the area held a flag meeting with his counterpart on December 11 to discuss the issue in accordance with established mechanisms.

"The Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and maintain peace and tranquillity along the border. The issue has also been taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels," he said.

The Tawang incident is the first major clash between the India and the Chinese armies since August 2020 near Rinchen La in eastern Ladakh.

Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a brief face-off near Yangtse in October last year as well and it was resolved following talks between local commanders of the two sides according to established protocols.

IAF closely monitoring situation

The Indian Air Force (IAF) scrambled fighter jets last week following China's increasing air activities on its side of LAC in the Tawang sector, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The deployment of some aerial platforms, including drones by China in the region, preceded the Chinese attempts on December 9 to unilaterally change the status quo in the Yangtse area of the Tawang sector, they said.

The people said a number of Chinese drones flew close to the LAC prompting the IAF to scramble the jets and increase the overall combat readiness.

Statement incomplete: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha after it was denied permission to seek clarifications on the defence minister's statement. Members of the CPI, CPI-M, Shiv Sena, RJD, SP and JMM joined the Congress members in staging a walkout from the House.

Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, asked why Parliament was deliberately kept in the dark. "Rajnath Singh may be wanting to provide more information but his voice has also been silenced by the prime minister. That is why the minister's statement is incomplete. Our questions were valid," he said.

Regular patrol blocked by Indian Army: China

China on Tuesday said the situation along the border was "generally stable".

Hours after the comments by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Senior Colonel Long Shaohua, spokesman of the Western Theatre Command of the Chinese PLA, issued a statement, saying the border defence forces organised regular patrol on the Chinese side of the LAC in "Dongzhang" area in the eastern sector of the China-India border, which was "blocked by the Indian Army illegally crossing the line".

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the two sides had maintained smooth communication on border-related issues through diplomatic and military channels. Wang, however, declined to provide details of the clash.