The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reiterated that maintaining peace and tranquillity along the India-China border remains essential for the broader development of bilateral relations, following reports that Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapoor referred to continuing face-offs with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Arunachal Pradesh.

Responding to questions on the issue, the MEA said specific operational matters should be addressed by the Ministry of Defence.

The ministry stated that situations along the India-China border occasionally become strained when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns.

According to the MEA, both countries continue to utilise existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to address outstanding issues and prevent misunderstanding or miscalculation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The ministry also noted that India and China have agreed to discuss ways of improving their understanding of the LAC in selected areas to strengthen border management. Emphasising the wider significance of stability along the frontier, the MEA said, “The maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations.”

The clarification has emerged amid a political controversy over the reported remarks of the ITBP chief regarding continuing encounters with Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called the reported remarks “deeply alarming” and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi provide a clear explanation to Parliament and the nation.

Raising a series of questions, Kharge said, “The ITBP DG's confirmation of continuing PLA face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh is deeply alarming. After Doklam and Galwan, is another serious confrontation unfolding?”

He also referred to reports of Chinese incursions near Taksing in August and questioned why confrontations were allegedly continuing despite Corps Commander-level talks held at Wacha-Damai, around 180 kilometres from the reported area.

Kharge asked whether India's patrolling access had been compromised and asserted that “Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India”.

The Congress President further criticised the government's diplomatic engagement with Beijing, questioning the outcomes of repeated high-level interactions between the two sides.

“At least 23 reported Modi-Xi meetings and interactions, 25 Special Representatives' rounds involving NSA Ajit Doval, 36 WMCC meetings, and successive SCO and BRICS Summits. What tangible results have these engagements delivered? Have India's pre-May 2020 patrolling rights been fully restored?” he asked.

Kharge stressed that while the Armed Forces enjoy the full confidence of the country, national security requires transparency and accountability, adding that the Prime Minister should take Parliament and the nation into confidence on developments along the border.

The remarks come less than two months after the 25th Round of Talks between the Special Representatives of India and China on the Boundary Question was held in Beijing on 25 August.

During those discussions, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to implementing guidance provided by their leaders, maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas, and creating conditions for stable and healthy bilateral ties.

India and China also reiterated their commitment to advancing negotiations on a framework for resolving the boundary dispute in accordance with the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question, as well as understandings reached in subsequent Special Representatives' talks.

The two countries further agreed that any developments on the ground should be managed through established diplomatic and military channels, including the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC), local commander-level meetings and other agreed mechanisms.

The discussions also underscored efforts to reduce the risk of misunderstanding along the LAC and improve border management measures, reflecting the continuing emphasis by both sides on dialogue and confidence-building even as sensitive issues remain unresolved.

ANI