- NET Web Desk
China’s geographical threats towards India have continued to escalate throughout years and have put India under additional pressure. Likewise, its continuous erection of bridges & stretches to ease-out forwarding its mindless strategies, however, the role played by Indian armed forces during such episodes has raised the stature of the nation at the global platform, thereby highlighting their major contributions in safeguarding the country.
Such shameless intent and media reports claiming that China is constructing a bridge across Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh have been strongly refuted by the Indian Government.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi today lambasted such claims, and asserted that concerned area has been under “illegal occupation” of China for around 60 years and India has never accepted such actions.
Addressing the mediapersons, Bagchi also slammed China for renaming some places in Arunachal Pradesh and said instead of engaging in such antics, Beijing should work constructively with India to resolve the outstanding friction points in eastern Ladakh. He described it as a “ridiculous exercise” to support “untenable territorial” claims.
On the bridge being built in the Pangong lake area, Bagchi said the government has been monitoring this activity closely.
“As regards reports about a bridge being made by the Chinese side on Pangong lake, the government has been monitoring this activity closely,” he said.
“This bridge is being constructed in areas that have been under illegal occupation by China for around 60 years now. As you are well aware India has never accepted such illegal occupation,” he stated. Bagchi said India has been taking all necessary actions to ensure that its security interests are fully protected.
“As part of these efforts, the government has also, in the last seven years, increased significantly the budget for the development of border infrastructure and completed more roads and bridges than ever before,” he said.
“These have provided much-needed connectivity to the local population as well as logistical support to armed forces. The government remains committed to this objective,” he added.
Recently, NDTV based on satellite imagery accessed by geo-intelligence expert Damien Symon, reported that China may be constructing a bridge across the lake. It said, “the bridge is being built across a part of the lake that falls within Chinese territory, but it connects both banks and gives China the ability to move soldiers and heavy weaponry into India at pace.”
Its worthy to note that recently China has released its second batch of so-called “standardized names” for 15 places of the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. Among these official names, which have been given precise co-ordinates, eight are residential areas, four – mountains, two are rivers, while one is a mountain pass.
The official names for eight towns on the list were – Sengkezong and Daglungzong in Cona county of Shannan prefecture, Mani’gang, Duding and Migpain in Medog county of Nyingchi, Goling, Damba in Zayu county of Nyingchi, and Mejag in Lhunze county of Shannan; the mountains were Wamo Ri, Deu Ri, Lhunzhub Ri and Kumingxingze Feng; the two rivers were Xenyogmo He and Dulain He, and the mountain pass on the list was Se La.
Reacting to the same, the MEA Spokesperson asserted, “this is not the first time China has attempted such a renaming of places in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. China had also sought to assign such names in April 2017. Arunachal Pradesh has always been, and will always be an integral part of India. Assigning invented names to places in Arunachal Pradesh does not alter this fact.”
