No change in status quo at Dokalam standoff area: Indian envoy

March 24, 2018 19:36

"No change" has taken place at the Doklam standoff area after it was resolved last year, India's envoy Gautam Bambawale said and blamed China squarely for the face off, saying it happened because Beijing tried to alter the "status quo" which it should not have.

The 73-day long standoff ended on August 28 last year after China agreed to halt the road building activities at Doklam in Sikkim Section.

"No, I can tell you that in Doklam area, which we call close proximity or sometimes the face off site, the area where there was close confrontation or close proximity between Indian and Chinese military troops, there is no change taking place today," India's Ambassador to China Bambawale said, reacting to reports of Chinese military stepping up infrastructure build-up in the area.

The Chinese side may be putting more military barracks to put in more soldiers, but that is well behind the sensitive area, he said in an interview to Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

"Those are the things you're free to do and we are also free to do, because you're doing it inside your territory and we are doing it inside our territory," Bambawale said.

Indian troops intervened to stop their Chinese counterparts building a road close to India's narrow corridor "Chicken Neck" area connecting northeastern states. Besides China, the area is also claimed by Bhutan.

-- PTI

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Deloitte pegs India's FY25 GDP growth at 6.6%

Deloitte India on Friday said it estimates India's GDP growth at 6.6 per cent in the current fiscal helped by consumption expenditure, exports rebound and capital flows. In its India's economic outlook report, Deloitte said the rapid...

No Place For Kohli In This 2024 Side!

No Shubhman Gill or Hardik Pandya either in Sanjay Manjrekar's T20 World Cup team.

We always have to celebrate little wins: Cameron Green

After his side clinched a 35-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting allrounder Cameron Green said that they have to celebrate such little wins.

SC rejects pleas on 100% EVM-VVPAT verification, paper ballot voting

Pronouncing the judgement, Justice Khanna said the court has rejected all the petitions, including those seeking resorting back to ballot papers in elections.

Good times ahead for United Breweries as heatwave, IPL set the tone

A cocktail of heatwave and upcoming cricketing events is expected to usher in the peak season for the country's largest beer maker, United Breweries. The beer maker, which has gained share in some key markets, will be a major...