While the MEA called the constructions 'illegal', the MoD said all Chinese infrastructure was well within their side of the LAC

The Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday, November 11, appeared to differ on a US report that mentioned the construction of a Chinese village in Arunachal Pradesh.

While taking note of the Pentagon report that made a reference to construction activities by China along the India-China border, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that such "illegal constructions have been carried out by China for decades". However, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat dismissed claims of any Chinese village on the Indian side.

On Thursday, during his weekly briefing, replying to a specific question about a 100-home village built by the Chinese according to the US government report, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "As we had stated then, China has undertaken construction activities in the past several years along the border areas, including those that it has illegally occupied over the decades. India has neither accepted such illegal occupation of our territory nor has it accepted the unjustified Chinese claims."

He added, "The government has always conveyed its strong protest against such activities through diplomatic means and will continue to do so in the future The government keeps a constant watch on all developments having a bearing on India's security and takes all the necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Interestingly, speaking at a media conclave, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat rejected the latest reports of a Chinese village in Arunachal Pradesh. Stating that there is no truth to the latest "controversy", General Rawat said, "This issue about the Chinese building villages along the Line of Actual Control is true. But what I wish to come out with is, the Chinese are building villages, possibly for locating their civilians or for the military in the future all along the LAC, particularly after the recent faceoffs that we've had. But this present controversy that has erupted that Chinese have come across our territory and have built a new village is not true."

"They are building this infrastructure and these so-called villages well within their side of the LAC [Line of Actual Control]. They have not transgressed anywhere in our perception of the LAC. There are different perceptions. We are very clear where the LAC lies because we have been told that this is your alignment of the LAC and this is the territory you are expected to defend," he said. "The Chinese have a perception which in some areas we know and in some areas, we don't because they have never really explained where the LAC lies according to their perception. As far as we are concerned, no such village development has taken place on our side of the LAC," he added.

In its recent report, the US Department of Defence said that China had built a large 100-home civilian village inside the disputed territory between its Tibet Autonomous Region and India's Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Bagchi said India keeps a constant watch on all developments having a bearing on its security and takes all the necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The MEA spokesperson said India had stepped up infrastructure development including construction of roads and bridges in areas along the border with China.