SOURCE: IANS
Former defence minister and Congress leader AK Antony raised concern over China’s hidden agenda behind the sudden provocation against India. An Indian colonel and two soldiers were killed in a violent face-off on Monday night with Chinese troops at Galan Valley in Ladakh. Responding to the shocking incident, AK Antony pointed out that India must suspect whether the attack from Chinese troops was a part of a hidden agenda.
He demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to tell the nation on the stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh and said “there is more to it than India building a road”. “I don’t think China attacked Indian soldiers to block the construction of a road in India. There must be another motive. The central government should reveal details of the violent face-off between the two armies,” said AK Antony.
He noted that no soldier was killed in the border tensions between India and China until now after 1975. There was tension between the two troops on the India-China border at Ladakh for the few last weeks. The violent conflict took place after China intruded into Indian regions. Efforts have already been taken to defuse the tension on the border. Both armies should withdraw from the fight,” he added.
AK Antony noted that he can not respond on the matter in detail as the central government did not give an official explanation on the incident.
“The Prime Minister and the Defence Minister should say more on what has happened as there is more to it than India building a road and China has other motives. There are limitations to what I can say more, as I am a former defence minister. Let them say it,” remarked the senior Congress leader, who has been the longest-serving defence minister in the country.
“I am also eagerly waiting to hear what the Centre has to say. For the past few weeks, in certain sensitive areas in Ladakh, the Chinese forces have advanced and are stationed there now. The two countries should settle this amicably,” Antony added.
Antony was the defence minister from 2006 to 2014 in the first and second UPA governments led by Manmohan Singh.
The last clash with the People’s Liberation Army was reported in 1975 when an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh.
Former Indian diplomat T. P. Sreenivasan, who hails from the state capital, said one will have to wait and see what China is up to in the post-Covid times.
“This time, one can sense a feel of arrogance in the way China has behaved. It’s said that no firing has taken place; if so, how come so many casualties? Will have to wait and see what they are up to as in the post-Covid times, the USA is helpless and China may be using this as an opportunity to stamp their authority. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, they did it. Now, we have reported loss of lives; so let us wait and see,” Sreenivasan said.
https://defencenewsofindia.com/ladakh-face-off-china-has-a-hidden-agenda-says-ak-antony/
