Indian and Chinese troops came face-to-face along the line of Actual Control (lAC) in ladakh on Wednesday after the latter entered the Indian territory where an irrigation canal is under construction. However, the Indian Army on Thursday denied there was a stand-off and said it was a routine objection.
The incident took place in Demchok sector, located 250 km east of leh, where the work for linking a village with ‘Hot Spring’ was being undertaken under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).
Reports said about 55 Chinese troops halted the work prompting the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP) personnel to rush to the spot and stop the high-handedness of Chinese troops, official sources said on Thursday.
The Indian Army clarified that there was no stand-off and it was routine objection raised by the Chinese. Elaborating upon this aspect, officials said here either side objects and seeks clarification whenever there is construction related activity near the lAC. There are established standard operating procedures and mechanism agreed to by both the countries to resolve such cases, the Army said.
This clarification came in the backdrop of the Chinese troops taking positions on the lAC and demanding that work be stopped as either side needs to take permission before undertaking any work. India disputed this claim and said as per the agreement between the two countries, information about construction needs to be shared only if it was meant for defence purposes.
Both sides pulled out banners, part of the standard operating procedure to caution each other. And the Army and ITBP was not allowing the Chinese to move an inch ahead despite the People's liberation Army(PlA) claiming that the area belonged to China, sources said.
The area had witnessed a similar incident in 2014 after it was decided to construct a small irrigation canal at Nilung Nalla under the MNREGA scheme that had been a sore point with the Chinese. The PlA had mobilised villagers from Tashigong to pitch Rebos (tents) at Charding-Ninglung Nallah (CNN) Track Junction to protest Indian action. This time, sources said, there were 55 personnel from the Chinese PlA whereas nearly 70 personnel from ITBP and army had fortified the area and prevented their march deeper into the Indian territory.