Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu (File Photo)

Guwahati: In an apparent reference to the attempt by Chinese troops to unilaterally change the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh’s Yangtse valley, Chief Minister Pema Khandu Tuesday asserted that Indian soldiers are capable of giving a “befitting reply” to any external aggression.

He also maintained that “it is not 1962 anymore’” referring to the Chinese intrusion deep into India that year. Khandu made the assertions while sharing a tweet by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in which the latter had posted his statement in Rajya Sabha over the Chinese PLA’s attempt to transgress the LAC in the northeastern state last week.

The Chinese transgression was reported on Monday.

“Yangtse is under my assembly constituency (Mukto) and every year I meet the army jawans and villagers of the area,” Khandu wrote on the micro-blogging site.

“It’s not 1962 anymore. If anyone tries to transgress, our brave soldiers will give a befitting reply,” he added.

Appreciating the Indian soldiers handling of the situation at Yangste, the Arunachal Chief Minister posted “Our brave Indian soldiers don’t reply to raining of bricks with mere sticks, they do so with iron rods (Eet ka jawab patthar se nahi, eeit ka jawab loha se de rahe rahi hain hamari veer sena)”.

Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 and the face-off resulted in “minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides”, the Indian Army said on Monday.

Singh in similar statements given in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha said, “On December 9, PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in the Yangtse area of Tawang Sector and unilaterally change the status quo. The Chinese attempt was contested by our troops in a firm and resolute manner.” “The ensuing face-off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts. The scuffle led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides,” he said.

“The Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and maintain peace and tranquility along the border. The issue has also been taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels,” the defence minister said.

The Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a brief face-off near Yangtse in October last year too. It was resolved following talks between local commanders of the two sides according to established protocols.

The ties between the two Asian countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in Galwan Valley in Ladakh in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

Both sides had gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers and heavy weaponry.

Following the Ladakh standoff, the Indian Army significantly bolstered its operational capabilities along the LAC in the eastern theatre, where Yangtse is located.