Owaisi frowns upon Pangong Tso disengagement plan; accuses PM Modi of giving up leverage

On Wednesday, AIMIM president Asuddin Owaisi claimed that India has lost lever as a result of Pangong Tso disengment plan agreed upon by government. Making a statement on LAC faceoff in Rajya Sabha on February 11, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh anunced that both sides have reached an agreement on disengment in rth and South Bank of Pangong Tso Lake. Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "weak leer", Hyderab MP contended that former h chosen "political convenience" over defending India from People's Liberation Army of China. Moreover, he alleged that PM's tough talk was aimed only at domestic opposition inste of country's real enemies. 

Re: New Visuals: Indian & Chinese Troops & Tanks Diseng From Pangong Tso Area In Lakh

Faceoff at LAC

 faceoff at Line of Actual Control was exacerbated when 21 Indian Army soldiers including a Commanding Officer were martyred in Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020, when de-escalation process was underway. This was followed by multiple attempts of provocation by Chinese side at end of August. Multiple rounds of military commander-level and WMCC meetings have taken place between two sides to resolve crisis. Besides this, EAM S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have met ir respective counterparts. 

 20th meeting of  Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) took place on December 18, 2020. developments along LAC were reviewed and both sides agreed to work towards ensuring complete disengment as per agreements reached between respective Foreign Ministers and Special Representatives. Furrmore, y ackwledged that 7th and 8th round of military commander-level talks h contributed to ensuring "stability on ground". On January 24, 9th round of Corps Commander-level talks was held to work out a phased disengment and de-escalation plan. 

Disengment plan

Briefing Upper House of Parliament on contours of disengment plan, Rajnath Singh explained that both sides will halt ir forward deployments in a phased, coordinated and verified manner. In rth Bank area, PLA troops will maintain ir presence to east of Finger 8 while Indian soldiers shall be based at ir permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3. Similar action will be taken by both sides in South Bank area. Furrmore, all structures built by India and China in rth and South Bank areas since April 2020 will be removed.

On or hand, both sides will resume patrolling in rth Bank only when a requisite agreement is reached via diplomatic and military channels. Observing that disengment started on February 10, Singh revealed that 10th meeting of senior military commanders will be convened within 48 hours of completion of this process to resolve all or remaining issues. ditionally, he assured House that India has t conceded anything in se talks. 

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