NEW DELHI accuses China of violating consensus on LAC in Ladakh reminding Beijing that India remains committed to secure its sovereignty

INDIA has accused the Chinese government of departing from consensus on respecting the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan valley resulting into the bloody clashes between troops of the two countries on the night of June 15.

In a statement,   the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)  said that the violent face-off happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo. MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on Tuesday, 16 June 2020 that India and China have been discussing through military and diplomatic channels the de-escalation of the situation in the border area of Eastern Ladakh. `Senior Commanders had a productive meeting on June 6 and agreed on a process for such de-escalation. Subsequently, ground commanders had a series of meetings to implement the consensus reached at a higher level. While it was our expectation that this would unfold smoothly, the Chinese side departed from the consensus to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley,’’ he said. `Both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided had the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side. ’Given its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC. We expect the same of the Chinese side, he said. `We remain firmly convinced of the need for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas and the resolution of differences through dialogue. At the same time, we are also strongly committed to ensuring India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said amid report that China is playing victim card.