Oppn demands April's status quo ante on LAC

September 17, 2020 16:33

Opposition leaders in the Rajya Sabha asked the government on Thursday to restore status quo ante as on April this year on the India-China border. Cutting across party lines, members in the Upper House of Parliament expressed their solidarity and support to the armed forces, which are facing a standoff situation against the Chinese army in eastern Ladakh.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anad Sharma and former defence minister A K Antony of the Congress asked the government to take efforts to restore the status quo ante of April and resolve the over-three-month-old border standoff. Some members such as Prasanna Acharya of the Biju Janata Dal and Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena cautioned the government while entering into any agreement with China over the present situation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement in the Rajya Sabha after the government and opposition agreed that there will be no discussion on the sensitive issue. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, however, allowed the members to seek a few clarifications on the statement, which was almost identical to the one Singh made in the Lok Sabha on September 15.

Sharma said the country is proud of its Army and the sacrifices made by the soldiers to protect the border. "There should be no doubt on this and the entire nation would stand together," he said. Referring to the recent talks between the Indian defence minister and foreign minister with their Chinese counterparts and a statement on September 11, Sharma asked: "Do we understand that the restoration of the status quo ante will remain a non-negotiable and final objective for India?"

Antony sought a clarification over Singh's statement in the Upper House. "You have to clarify that sovereignty means status quo ante as on the middle of April. That is the meaning of sovereignty," he said. Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh was never a disputed site, the former defence minister said. -- PTI

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