Arunachal Pradesh Congress president and former state education minister Bosiram Siram has alleged that Chinese troops have advanced between 40 and 50 kilometres into Indian territory in the Upper Subansiri district, triggering a fresh political debate over the security situation along the India-China frontier, Economic Times reported.

The allegation has, however, been rejected by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who said he did not believe any such incursion was taking place.

The controversy marks the second recent instance of a Congress leader making claims about developments along India's northern border that have subsequently been challenged by government authorities and security agencies.

Siram made the allegations after leading a Congress delegation on a visit to remote border regions between 26 and 29 August. The delegation travelled from Itanagar through Nacho to Limeking and Taksing to assess conditions in frontier areas and interact directly with local residents.

The team included Congress working president and former home minister Tanga Byaling, along with Upper Subansiri MP Jarodum Kri.

According to Siram, local residents reported growing concerns about Chinese military activity in the region. He claimed that personnel of the People's Liberation Army had moved deep into territory claimed by India and were stationed at multiple locations in the border belt.

Describing what he said was the situation on the ground, Siram stated, “The Chinese PLA have already advanced 40 to 50 km into Indian territory. Today, Chinese PLA personnel are stationed up there, at intervals. You can see the Army. They are on top of the mountains, while we are down below.”

He further alleged that Chinese forces occupied dominating high-ground positions while Indian troops were positioned in lower areas.

The Congress leader also claimed that several strategically important areas, including Asaphila and surrounding high-altitude positions, had reportedly disappeared from online maps and fallen under Chinese control. He argued that such reports could not be dismissed without proper scrutiny.

Questioning official denials, Siram asked why residents of border villages continued to raise concerns if there had been no intrusion or aggressive activity.

“Instead of brushing off these allegations merely as rumours, a thorough and impartial factual investigation must be conducted,” he said.

Siram called for a transparent, high-level inquiry by the Central Government and the Ministry of Defence, maintaining that serious border-related concerns should be examined through fact-finding exercises rather than being dismissed outright.

He also referred to recent remarks made by Indo-Tibetan Border Police Director General Shatrujit Singh Kapoor regarding face-off locations along the frontier, arguing that local accounts deserved closer attention and independent verification.

During interactions with villagers, Siram said residents described continuing difficulties caused by Chinese military activity. He alleged that traditional livelihood practices had been affected, with local people facing restrictions in areas they had historically accessed for yak grazing, hunting and foraging.

“Residents are no longer able to freely access areas they traditionally visited for yak herding, foraging, and hunting,” he claimed.

The Congress leader also alleged that face-off situations persisted at several friction points along the border, affecting both troop patrolling and civilian movement.

Adding another dimension to the claim, Siram said residents had informed the delegation about confrontations between Indian and Chinese troops during the final week of July. According to him, those incidents involved physical clashes and the use of sticks by personnel from both sides.

He claimed that Indian forces had successfully countered what he described as aggressive actions by Chinese troops. However, there has been no independent confirmation of these alleged incidents.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu has rejected the latest allegations and stated that he does not believe any such incursion is taking place. His response aligns with previous official positions taken by both state and central authorities regarding recent claims of large-scale Chinese advances in Arunachal Pradesh.

The latest controversy follows similar allegations made earlier this year concerning Chinese activity near Taksing in Upper Subansiri district.

In June, the Nah Welfare Society claimed that the PLA had expanded its presence in the region. The Indian Army later dismissed those assertions, describing them as incorrect and lacking any basis.

In August, a delegation from the People's Party of Arunachal alleged that Indian patrols were being prevented from reaching key locations along the frontier.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju also rejected claims that Chinese troops had advanced 60 kilometres into Indian territory. However, he acknowledged increased Chinese activity on elevated ridges overlooking parts of the border region.

The issue has gained further political attention because it comes shortly after another controversy involving Bihar Congress communication chief and AICC coordinator Ritu Choudhary.

She had shared two videos on social media making claims about Chinese activity along the India-China border.

One video allegedly showed Chinese vehicles inside Indian territory, while another claimed that China had captured Asaphila, Longju and Taksing in Arunachal Pradesh and that Indian Army personnel were being denied essential supplies.

The Indian Army subsequently debunked both claims. It clarified that the first video actually showed commercial vehicles operating at the authorised border trade point at Nathu La in Sikkim.

The second video was identified as a digitally manipulated clip that reused archival footage from a 2023 press briefing held in Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir. Following the clarification, Union minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the social media posts and publicly demanded an apology.

For now, Siram's allegations remain claims that have not been independently verified. While he has demanded a comprehensive investigation into the reports emerging from frontier communities, both the Arunachal Pradesh government and security authorities have disputed assertions of a major Chinese intrusion, ensuring that the debate over the actual situation in Upper Subansiri remains politically and strategically significant.

Agencies