Cong cites Pentagon report, says China intruded 4.5 km into Arunachal

New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) Citing reports, the Congress on Saturday said that China has intruded into Indian territory but the government is in denial mode.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Pawan Khera, party spokesperson said, "It has now been confirmed by an annual report by the Pentagon to the US Congress. The report -- 'Military and Security Developments involving the People's Republic of China, 2021' confirms that China has intruded 4.5 km deep inside the Arunachal Pradesh Territory in our area."

Khera said China has constructed a village across the LAC, they have constructed several villages and these are dual purpose villages, dual use villages. What is a dual use village? It not only has civilian population residing there, but, these villages can also act as cantonments for the Chinese army.

The Congress Spokesperson said, as per the Pentagon report, about 4.5 km within our territory China has constructed 101 structures, some of them multi storey structures and this is a very very serious issue.

"The Prime Minister must withdraw that clean chit first of all and give a deadline to the nation, when will the status-quo-ante of April, 2020 be restored across all our borders with China? Whether it's Depsang, whether it's Gogra Hot spring, or the DOB sector, whether it's Arunachal Pradesh, we need answers, we need deadlines, we need dates and we need an apology for misleading the world that China has not entered our territory," Khera said.

Pawan Khera said, in June, 2020, BJP Member of the Lok Sabha from Arunachal Pradesh (East) Tapir Gao had written to the Prime Minister, to the Defence Minister, to the Foreign Minister on the issue. He also raised this issue in the Parliament warning the Government, warning the entire country about transgressions made by China into Arunachal Pradesh territory. He kept warning them. They issued a clarification, they denied any such transgression.

The Congress said it has been 17 months since the Prime Minister gave a clean chit to China. That clean chit is a dark chapter in our history, because that clean chit was issued, is being used by China across the world, because that clean chit came from none other than the Prime Minister of India, whose territories are being transgressed by China and China got emboldened by this clean chit.

Not just in Arunachal Pradesh, not just in Ladakh, not just in Gogra-Hot Springs, not just in Depsang, also Uttarakhand, as we had discussed last month during a press conference, the PLA entered, destroyed our infrastructure and left.