On Sunday (7th July), Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge shared a media report regarding the Chinese built-up and construction of military infrastructure near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). While attempting to target the Modi government over the issue of territorial sovereignty, he alleged that India has lost its sovereign territories under the Modi government.
How can China build a military base near Pangong Tso, on a land which was under Indian occupation, until May 2020?
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) July 7, 2024
Even as we enter the 5th year of the "CLEAN CHIT" given by PM @narendramodi on Galwan, where our brave soldiers sacrificed their lives, China continues to impinge… pic.twitter.com/Fe7T6iKIDF
Citing a Hindustan Times report, Kharge highlighted that the Chinese have constructed a military base at the Sirijap site on the northern bank of Pangong Tso. He then went on to allege that the area was under Indian control until May 2020.
In his post, he also accused the Modi government of not acting tough against China and accused PM Modi of giving a so-called “Clean chit” to China on its belligerent occupation of Indian territories which according to the Congress leader and the ecosystem, China occupied under the tenure of the Modi government. However, the allegations of the Congress leader are false, misleading, and spreading fake news about China’s territorial occupation of Indian territories post-May 2020 built-up and border stand-off.
Notably, popular Defence analyst and X user Abhijeet Iyer Mitra shared a Fact check of Mallikarjun Kharge’s claims done by an X handle named Donnie. The Fact check of the Congress leader’s claim reveals that the site in question, Sirijap had been under the control of China for decades, in fact, post-1962 India-Sino war.
Evidently, it was widely reported in Indian media that the Congress-led UPA government had admitted that the Chinese Army had denied India access to Sirijap – the area in question in 2013, a year before the Modi government had assumed power, alluding to the fact that it was not under Indian control until May 2020 and control over India’s sovereign territory was not lost during the Modi government.
Additionally, the Chinese had built a full-fledged observation/intel base in the area by 2009 when the Congress-led UPA was in power.
Sir please stop spreading #FakeNews. Here’s a news item from 2013 when you ran the government clearly stating the Chinese had denied you access to Sirijap – the area in question. Also they built a full fledged obs/intel base in the area by 2009 – also when you were in power… https://t.co/5TmjQLNp0c pic.twitter.com/lhyyscXjnl
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) July 7, 2024
Furthermore, in a journal published in the United Service Institute of India in 2005, again when the Congress-led UPA government was in power, General Thapliyal had extensively written about the 1962 India-Sino war and how the Chinese army “captured” areas in and around Sirijap. Committing war crimes, the Chinese soldiers lined up Indian Prisoners of War and shot all of them.
In his post, Abhijeet Mitra further added that the place has been listed on Google Maps as being in China’s Ngari prefecture. Moreover all the roads visible today – were visible in 2009, he added.
.Moreover, Gen Thapliyal writes that the whole of Sirijap was captured in 1962 – the Chinese shot Indian POWs and completely overran all Indian positions. Even google maps lists this as being in China’s Ngari prefecture. Moreover all the roads visible today – were visible in 2009 pic.twitter.com/hg9OlHK61U
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) July 7, 2024
As the India-China border standoff has continued for more than four years, the Indian Army and the Modi government had on umpteenth occasions denied any occupation of Indian territories in the border standoff and reiterated their firm commitment to safeguarding India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Despite the initial logistical gap, on account of the lack of focus of the UPA government on border Infrastructure, India has been resolute in following mirror deployment and taking appropriate measures to counter Chinese built-up and its misdeeds on the LAC and elsewhere.
