Govt Should Clarify on China's Claim on Galwan Valley Today Itself, Says Congress Leader Chidambaram

The Congress on Saturday asked the government to clarify its position on China's claim on the entire Galwan Valley in Ladakh, urging for a response on Saturday itself.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that no outsider was inside Indian territory in Ladakh, had practically left everyone "baffled and bewildered".

Chidambaram said even after the PM's statement on Friday, China had blamed India for the clashes and had re-asserted its claim to the entire Galwan Valley.

"What is the government's answer to this claim? Now that China is claiming the entire Galwan Valley, will Government of India reject this claim," he asked.

"Let Government of India answer to China's claim today and not wait till tomorrow," he added.

On the BJP drawing a parallel between India's China policy in 1962 and now, the Congress leader said, "We must focus on the present and not talk about the past."

A day after India trashed the Chinese Army's claim of sovereignty over the Galwan Valley and asked Beijing to confine its activities to its side of the LAC, China's foreign ministry on Friday claimed that the Galwan Valley was on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control.

India has already dismissed China's claim of sovereignty over the Galwan Valley, saying such "exaggerated" and "untenable" claims are contrary to the understanding reached during a high-level military dialogue on June 6.