Published 14:41 IST, June 8th 2020
LAC Standoff: Defence Minister conducts review with all 3 Chiefs of Armed Forces & CDS
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday held a review meeting with the Chiefs of the Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force along with Chief of Defence Staff.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday held a review meeting with the Chiefs of the Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force along with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat over the Ladakh standoff.
The meeting held between the top defence commanders is said to have lasted for over an hour. This comes two days after India held lengthy Commander-level talks with China on how to diplomatically solve the border tensions along LAC. As per sources, both sides continue to hold ground positions.
On June 6, the Indian delegation led by Lt General Harinder Singh, the general officer commanding of Leh-based 14 Corps, and Commander of the Tibet Military District Maj Gen Liu Lin held an extensive meeting in Maldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh that began at around 11:30 AM and went on till evening.
According to sources, the high-level military dialogue could not produce any tangible results in ending the confrontation in eastern Ladakh, and India was ready for a long-haul in sensitive areas like Pangong Tso and Galwan Valley.
India-China standoff
Earlier Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had revealed that a "sizeable number" of Chinese troops had moved into areas in eastern Ladakh. As per reports, the People's Liberation Army has brought in more than 5,000 troops along the Eastern Ladakh sector and in some areas, they are said to be pushing for deeper incursions into Indian territory. The Chinese have also brought in heavy vehicles with artillery guns and infantry combat vehicles in their rear positions close to the Indian territory. This comes after two face-offs between the Indian Army and the PLA in eastern Ladakh.
While speaking to Republic TV recently Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Our government, in any case, will not let the self-respect of the nation come down. The face-off has happened in the past as well. We have a system in place to solve the problem. Diplomatic talks are going on."
Updated 14:41 IST, June 8th 2020