Whatever happened at Galwan was planned by China: EAM
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi over the phone on Wednesday, two days after armies of both the countries clashed at the Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action. Squarely blaming Beijing for the worst escalation in decades, Jaishankar is reported to have told Yi that China deliberately planned the attack. Here's more.
India's infrastructure projects in the high-altitude areas miffed China, sparking tensions in May. In the last few weeks, several rounds of talks happened at military and diplomatic levels. An agreement to deescalate was reached on June 6. On Monday, just as the Bihar regiment waited for PLA to retreat, the Chinese attacked them. 20 Indian soldiers were martyred and over 30 Chinese soldiers died.
Angered by China's aggression, MEA released a statement yesterday asserting China didn't respect the agreement and this led to the loss of lives. Taking the same tone with Yi, Jaishankar is believed to have told him, "What happened in Galwan was premeditated and planned action by China which was responsible for the sequence of events." He launched a protest in strong words.
Jaishankar told Yi that during June 6 meeting, it was decided that armies will indulge in de-escalation. However, the situation worsened when the Chinese sought to erect a structure in Galwan Valley on India's side of the LAC. "It reflected an intent to change the facts on ground in violation of our agreements to not change the status quo," a note from MEA read.
Further, Jaishankar told Yi this development would adversely affect the bilateral relationship. "The need of the hour was for the Chinese side to reassess its actions and take corrective steps. The two sides should scrupulously and sincerely implement the understanding that was reached by the Senior Commanders on June 6," the note added. Jaishankar said troops shouldn't try to alter the status of LAC.
"Both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of June 6 sincerely. Neither side would take any action to escalate matters and instead, ensure peace and tranquillity as per bilateral agreements and protocols," MEA said about the conversation.
Earlier, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, said his country doesn't want any more clashes with India. "The incident happened on the Chinese side of LAC and China is not to be blamed for it," the spokesperson said. He also asked India to rein in its frontline troops, not provoke China, and return to the "right track" of resolving differences through dialogue.
Meanwhile, in his first comments on the crisis today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that while India wants peace, it is also capable of giving a befitting reply. "I would like to assure the nation that the sacrifice of our jawans will not be in vain," he said at a meeting with the second batch of Chief Ministers on the raging coronavirus situation.
