’Beijing tried to…’: Amit Shah likens LAC standoff to 1962 Indo-China war in Lok Sabha

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday spoke on the India-China border dispute along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh and said that Beijing was attempting a repeat of the 1962 war with India. While speaking in Parliament, Amit Shah reiterated the Union Government's stand that India has “not lost out on any territory” in the military standoff against the Chinese troops.

“China tried to do what it did in 1962,” news agency PTI quoted Amit Shah as saying in Lok Sabha. “Our leadership displayed resolve and not an inch of India's land was lost,” he added.

Congress-led Opposition parties have attacked the PM Modi-led Union government on the issue and claimed that Chinese troops have encroached on India's territory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg and discussed the de-escalation of tensions along the LAC. “In a conversation with President Xi Jinping of China, PM highlighted India’s concerns on the unresolved issues along the LAC in the western sector of the India-China border areas,” India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said.

After the meeting, China also released a statement emphasizing the need to properly handling the border issues. “President Xi stressed that improving China-India relations serves the common interests of the two countries and peoples, and is also conducive to peace, stability, and development of the world and the region,” the statement said.

“The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border region,” it added.

India-China LAC standoff

The tense standoff between Indian and Chinese troops commenced in the latter part of April-May 2020. The confrontation culminated in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley on the night of June 15, resulting in casualties on both sides. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the violent clashes, the first instance in over four decades where lives were lost in a border dispute along the Line of Actual Control.

Since then, both India and China's Army have been conducting meetings at the Corps Commander level and disengagement has taken place in some sectors, but the status quo before April 2020 still looks far.