The deadly clash of Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020, has been etched into the minds of every Indian. The Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a deadly skirmish along the LAC in more than five decades, which left 20 Indian soldiers and undisclosed number of Chinese troops dead. After several rounds of negotiations, the disengagement agreement was entered in February this year. However, a new report suggested that the disengagement along the LAC failed after clash between the two sides.
The Claim
A news article published in a leading English daily claimed that Indian Army and Chinese PLA soldiers clashed after months of disengagement in eastern Ladakh along the LAC. The article said the talks with China to resolve the border standoff have collapsed.
According to the report, the Chinese army crossed the Line of Actual Control at several places. The report cited unidentified officials in the Ministry of Defence, but did not reveal when the incident took place or if there were any casualties.
"In May-June, Indian patrols in Demchok and Chumar, in southern Ladakh, reported an increased presence of PLA [Chinese People's Liberation Army] men in civilian clothes," the story said. "In mid-May, without Indian provocation, the PLA began re-occupying many of the positions that had been vacated, boosting tensions and triggering counter deployments by the Indian Army."
Fact Check
Soon after the report was published by the English daily, the Indian Army debunked the article saying it is "riddled with inaccuracies and misinformation.
"It is reiterated that the news report mentioning that agreements with China have collapsed, is false and baseless. Ever since the disengagement agreement in February this year, there has been no attempt by either side to occupy the areas from where the dis-engagement had been undertaken."
The official statement by the Indian Army accused the reporter of having "malafide intention."
The report comes on the day external affairs minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Dushanbe to discuss de-escalation and disengagement methods in East Ladakh. The army assured that contrary to the report, both India and China are continuing the negotiations and that it is continuously monitoring by the Chinese PLA.
