Clarify ground situation in Arunachal: Sena on "China village"

While our soldiers have beenbravely fighting out these incursions it is saddening to seethe political blame game being indulged in by the Centralgovernment.Till when will the government continue to blame thepast to justify the present and future decisions, Chaturvedisaid in a statement.Citing news reports, she stated that this newly-builtChinese village is approximately within 4.5 kms of the Indianterritory of the de facto border.As per the official government maps, this area ispart of Indian Territory but has been in Chinese control since1959.

The Shiv Sena on Wednesday askedthe Centre to clarify ''the actual situation on ground'' in viewof reports that China has built a village in ArunachalPradesh.

Sena spokesperson and Raya Sabha MP PriyankaChaturvedi said she has written to DefenceMinister andExternal Affairs Minister ''to bring to their urgent attentionthe building of new settlements by China in Indian Territoryof Arunachal Pradesh, within past year, as per the satelliteimages available in public domain''.

''Will the government be transparent and clarify theactual situation on ground? While our soldiers have beenbravely fighting out these incursions it is saddening to seethe political blame game being indulged in by the Centralgovernment.

''Till when will the government continue to blame thepast to justify the present and future decisions?,'' Chaturvedisaid in a statement.

Citing news reports, she stated that this newly-builtChinese village is approximately within 4.5 kms of the Indianterritory of the de facto border.

''As per the official government maps, this area ispart of Indian Territory but has been in Chinese control since1959. However, while earlier only a Chinese military postexisted in these areas, this time a full-fledged village hasbeen built in it and the military post has been upgraded,'' theSena MP stated.

She further said that while China has been stepping upexpansionism in the border-lands ''while our government is noteven willing to call China out by name''.

''The area where these villages have come up may bedisputed, but international law forbids unilateral change ofthe status quo in such disputed territories,'' she said.

Chaturvedi also said that China's construction of avillage is just the latest example of how it is encroaching onareas inside India.

''China has no land claim in this occupied region thatcan be backed by international law. However, now byconstructing villages that were uninhabited but strategicallyimportant areas, it is seeking to challenge the internationallaw,'' she added.

Chaturvedi stated that the construction of thisvillage is a violation of a key part of multiple agreementsreached by China with India that asked the two sides tostrictly respect and observe the LAC and work together tomaintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

''The list of intrusion by China, as reported in thepast one year based on satellite images, has been in DepsangPlains, Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Gogra Hot Springs, DibangValley, Chushul, Demchok, Chumar,'' Chaturvedi stated.

In a cautious reaction to the reports, India on Mondaysaid it keeps a constant watch on all developments having abearing on the country's security, and takes necessarymeasures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorialintegrity.