NEW DELHI: India on Saturday made it clear that its position with regard to the Galwan Valley area has been historically clear and that the Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the LAC in all sectors of the India-China border areas, including in the Galwan Valley.

“Attempts by the Chinese side to now advance exaggerated and untenable claims with regard to Line of Actual Control (LAC) there (Galwan Valley) are not acceptable. They are not in accordance with China’s own position in the past,” MEA spokesperson affirmed in response to the Chinese statement.

The China’s Foreign Ministry had claimed that Galwan located along LAC in Ladakh sector is a part of mainland China and accused the Indian troops of “unilaterally and continuously building roads, bridges and other facilities” at LAC.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian in a statement gave a step-by-step account of the Galwan clash and elaborated China’s position on settling this incident. “For many years, the Chinese border troops have been patrolling and on duty in this region. Since April this year, the Indian border troops have unilaterally and continuously built roads, bridges and other facilities at the LAC in the Galwan Valley. China has lodged representations and protests on multiple occasions but India has gone even further to cross the LAC and make provocations,” the foreign ministry statement read.

“By the early morning of May 6, the Indian border troops, who have crossed the LAC by night and trespassed into China’s territory, have built fortification and barricades, which impeded the patrol of Chinese border troops,” it read.

The MEA spokesperson asserted that the Indian Army abide by LAC alignment scrupulously in Galwan, as well as elsewhere. The Indian side has never undertaken any actions across the LAC. In fact, they have been patrolling this area for a long time without any incident. All infrastructure built by the Indian side is naturally on its own side of the LAC, the spokesperson claimed.

“Since early May 2020, the Chinese side has been hindering India's normal, traditional patrolling pattern in this area. This had resulted in a face-off which was addressed by the ground commanders as per the provisions of the bilateral agreements and protocols. We do not accept the contention that India was unilaterally changing the status quo. On the contrary, we were maintaining it.”

“Subsequently in mid-May, the Chinese side attempted to transgress the LAC in other areas of the Western Sector of the India-China border areas. These attempts were invariably met with an appropriate response from us,” the spokesperson said, adding, “Thereafter, the two sides were engaged in discussions through established diplomatic and military channels to address the situation arising out of Chinese activities on the LAC.”

The Senior Commanders met on 6 June and agreed on a process for de-escalation and disengagement along the LAC that involved reciprocal actions. Both sides had agreed to respect and abide by the LAC and not undertake any activity to alter the status quo. “However, the Chinese side departed from these understandings in respect of the LAC in the Galwan Valley area and sought to erect structures just across the LAC. When this attempt was foiled, Chinese troops took violent actions on 15 June 2020 that directly resulted in casualties,“ according to MEA.

“We expect that the Chinese side will sincerely follow the understanding reached between the Foreign Ministers to ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas, which is so essential for the overall development of our bilateral relations,” the MEA spokesperson said.