'No infiltration along India-China border during last six months': Mos Home in Parliament

Minister of State for Home Affairs (MHA) Nityanand Rai on Wednesday in a written reply in Rajya Sabha said that "no infiltration" has been reported along the India-China border during last six months. He was replying to an Unstarred Question that read - 'whether it is a fact that the cases of infiltration from Pakistan and China has increased during the last six months' "Number of cases of attempted infiltration along India-Pakistan border during last 6 months are - Feb-0, March-4, April-24, May-8, June-0, Jul -1," MoS MHA Nityanand Rai said.

Nityanand Rai's statement comes a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh firmly articulated the government's position on the tense India-China border row in eastern Ladakh and said China has been very clearly conveyed that any attempt to "unilaterally" change the status quo along the LAC is not at all acceptable while acknowledging that India is facing a "challenge" in the region.

India facing a 'challenge' in Ladakh 

Making a statement in the Lok Sabha, Singh said there should be no doubt about the country's determination to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and asserted that India's armed forces are ready to deal with "all contingencies" in the high-altitude region.

Referring to the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15, the Defence Minister said Indian soldiers "inflicted costs including casualties on the Chinese side", adding the House should have "full confidence" that the armed forces will always rise to the challenge and make the country proud.

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"I will not hesitate to share with this august House that we are facing a challenge in Ladakh and I urge the House to pass a resolution in support of our armed forces who have been defending our motherland at great heights and most inclement weather conditions," he said. The Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May, and this has turned into a political matter, with the Opposition insistent that the government make clear whether any Indian territory has been seized by China.

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