Congress Poses Questions to Centre on Disengagement of Troops at LAC

The Congress on Wednesday asked the government to come clean on the disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh and asked whether they moved from one side of LAC to the other.

Party leader P Chidambaram asked the government to name the places where Chinese and Indian troops have disengaged.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also asked why India should create a buffer zone on its own territory as it goes against the restoration of status quo ante in the Galwan Valley and other places.

Chidambaram said he welcomed the disengagement and the pull back by Chinese troops.

"Will someone tell us the place from which the Chinese troops disengaged and the place in which they are now.

"Similarly which is the place from which Indian troops disengaged? Did any troops — Chinese or Indian — move from one side of the LAC to the other," he asked.

The former Union minister said on Twitter that answers to these questions are necessary because the Indian people are on a "treasure hunt to find out what happened on June 15 and where".

Surjewala said, "Dear PM, national security is sacrosanct. Territorial integrity is non-negotiable. The entire country stands united with our armed forces and the government. The onus lies upon you to defend our territorial integrity firmly and resolutely."

"Why should India agree to creation of a "buffer zone" on its side of LAC? Does it not go against restoration of "status quo ante" in Galwan Valley and other points," he asked in a series of tweets.

He also asked if it is correct that under the new protocol with China, Indian forces can''t patrol PP-14 (Galwan Valley), PP-15 (Hot Springs) and PP-17(Gogra).

"Is it not true that there has never been a dispute with China on alignment of LAC in these three areas of Galwan Valley, Hot Spring and Gogra," he asked.

He also asked the prime minister on why China is not withdrawing from the ridges between Finger 4 to Finger 8 in Pangong Tso Lake area as also from Y Junction in Depsang Plains to the post year 2013 position.

The Congress has been posing several questions to the government ever since the bloody standoff between Chinese and Indian troops in the Galwan valley on June 15 that led to the death of 20 Indian soldiers.