Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the Narendra Modi-led central government cannot take the issue of the Indo-China border skirmish along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh and will not compromise on it.
“We can’t take the issue of LAC lightly,” he told CNN-News in an exclusive interview. “The government will not compromise one bit on this issue. We are dealing with this both militarily and diplomatically.”
Several areas along the LAC in Ladakh and North Sikkim have seen major military build-up by both the Indian and Chinese armies, in a clear signal of escalating tension and hardening of positions by the two sides even two weeks after they were engaged in two separate face-offs.
However, Shah did not respond when asked if China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has entered Indian territory.
Both India and China have maintained that ‘military and diplomatic’ level talks are on to amicably resolve the issue.
India has said the Chinese military was hindering normal patrolling by its troops along the LAC and has strongly refuted Beijing’s contention the escalating tension was triggered by trespassing of Indian forces across the Chinese side.
US President Donald Trump had also offered to “mediate or arbitrate” the raging border dispute between the two most populous countries, saying he was “ready, willing and able” to ease the tensions.
China asked India to be careful not to include the US factor in its handling of any problem in its relations with China, “otherwise it will only complicate the issue”. “The offer of US mediation is unnecessary and the last thing both sides could use. China and India have the ability to resolve their problems, and there is no need for any third-party intervention,” it said.