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Daulat Beg Oldi: Read about India’s strategically important airstrip in Ladakh that keeps the Chinese troops in check

OpIndia Staff
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Daulat Beg Oldi: Read about India’s strategically important airstrip in Ladakh that keeps the Chinese troops in check

Amidst the ongoing stand-off between Indian and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a former Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF) made a startling revelation that the IAF had once had to reactivate the historic Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip in Ladakh, without the permission of the then-Congress led UPA government in 2008.

Air Marshal Pranab Kumar Barbora, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the western air command in 2008, wanted to re-open an airstrip along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) not only to maximise logistical support for troops stationed at Ladakh but also to check the Chinese activity along the LAC and to prevent any incursion by the Chinese troops.

The plan of Indian Air Force to re-activate the strip, which could give a huge strategic advantage to the Indian troops against received a major setback after UPA government under Manmohan Singh refused to give permission. Interestingly, the government did not give any clear reason for refusing permission.

However, the Air Marshal realising the prevailing security necessities along the LAC, decided to follow his plan, without the centre’s permission.

In May 2008, the Air Marshal himself flew an An-32 transport aircraft and landed on the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh without informing the government. The historic airstrip was reactivated by the Indian Air Force again.

The strategic importance of Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip

Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip lies in one of the most strategically important terrains just near the base of the Karakoram Range and also close to Chip Chap river. The airstrip is just 8 km south of the Chinese border and 9 km northwest of the Aksai Chin Line of Actual Control between India and China.

The DBO airstrip is also one of the world’s highest airstrips in the world, located and operated at an altitude of nearly 17,000 feet. It was built during the 1962 war with China, however, there were no operations here since 1965. For 43 years, there had been no clearance from Delhi to re-operate from this outpost. 

The first pilot to land a C-119G Fairchild Packet aircraft was IAF’s Squadron Leader CKS Raje. After a slight instability was observed in the runway after an earthquake in 1966, the landing of fixed-wing aircraft was discontinued, as per a report in SP’s Aviation.

The Indian Army maintains helipads and a gravel airstrip here, the highest airstrip in the world. The Air Force also carries routine sorties using An-32 aircraft to provide relief and supplies to the troops stationed nearby. The outpost is strategically important as it helps Indian Armed Forces to keep a check on Chinese troops that patrols along the Line of Actual Control.

In a significant demonstration of its capabilities, the Indian Air Force had landed a C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft in Daulat Beg Oldie on 20 August 2013. In fact, the DBO airstrip and the necessary infrastructure built around it has been adding weight to India’s bargaining power with China in the current stand-off.

The Daulat Beg Oldi outpost is also one of the five officially agreed personnel meeting points between the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army for regular consultations and interactions between the two armies.

They issued rape threats to me, my 73-year-old mother and my child: Ekta Kapoor says how fictional story cannot justify real life humiliation of women

OpIndia Staff
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They issued rape threats to me, my 73-year-old mother and my child: Ekta Kapoor says how fictional story cannot justify real life humiliation of women

Television queen Ekta Kapoor in an exclusive interview with OpIndia asserted how no controversy can justify rape threats. “They have issued rape threats to me, my 73 year old mom and my one and a half year old kid. They have morphed my face on nude images and circulated it all over internet,” Kapoor says that some of the abuses directed toward her were so objectionable that they cannot be mentioned. She says open calls were made to people to humiliate and rape her. In February last year, Kapoor welcomed her first child, Ravie, a baby boy, born via surrogacy.

Kapoor says she has utmost respect for the Indian Army and their families and what is objectionable to them will be fixed. “But a fictional story on an app can not justify real life humiliation of women. We need to understand that rape threats dilute the purpose of protests and not further them,” she says. “If this can happen to a reasonably successful woman like me then imagine what they can do to girls that are a lot more vulnerable. I won’t budge in front of those hooligans for the sake of other girls. This cyber bullying and rape threats has to stop,” she added.

Regarding the controversial scene, Kapoor said that they do not justify the objections raised by respectable section of the society. “The moment the issue was raised, the platform made necessary amends and removed the scene altogether. We also unconditionally apologise to the army and army wives if we have unintentionally hurt their sentiments,” she said that as an individual she has highest respect for the Indian Army.

Speaking on being the woman in a largely male-dominated world of entertainment, she says how different barometers are used for men and women. “Aggression is considered as passion in men while aggressive women are seen in a negative light. If you are assertive as a woman, you are considered to be emotionless or cranky,” says Kapoor who started her career at the age of 17 with her mother, Shobha Kapoor. “I think women have an edge because of their combative forces as they fight so many prejudices on daily basis. It is heartening to see that women are breaking the glass ceiling by helming leadership roles now more than ever,” she says after having shattered quite a few glass ceilings herself.

The pioneer of Saas-Bahu dramas on the small screen Kapoor said she creates shows which resonate with masses, irrespective of religion or caste. “We have created shows that have established family watch-time across television sets for the entire nation. The fact that these shows have created their own legacy and mass following, showcases that India still has a strong sense of family culture and togetherness and they appreciate value content,” she says.

The recent controversy hasn’t dampened her spirits. “In terms of movies, Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare will release soon. In addition to that, we have Ek Villain 2, Pagglait, K Tina in the pipeline. On the digital platform, ALTBalaji, we recently launched the 3rd season of our popular show Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain. The next show in the pipeline is Beebaakee among others. When it comes to television, with the 3rd instalment of Naagin done, the 4th season has been scripted and shall go on floors soon. The endeavour of course is to create entertaining content for our audiences across all platforms,” she says.

XXX2 controversy over ‘objectionable sex scene’

Objecting to the show, several complaints have been filed against Ekta Kapoor. Social media celebrity Hindustani Bhau had filed a police complaint against TV producer Ekta Kapoor and her mother Shobha Kapoor over allegations of disrespecting the Indian Army, and the Indian Army in her erotic web series XXX 2. Alt Balaji has since then deleted the scene but Kapoor has been subjected to threats from online bullies.

UP Police asks Cyber Cell to take necessary action against The Wire journalist Arfa Khanum after she was caught peddling fake news

OpIndia Staff
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UP Police asks Cyber Cell to take necessary action against The Wire journalist Arfa Khanum after she was caught peddling fake news

In yet another incident, ‘The Wire’ journalist Arfa Khanum was caught furthering unverified news. Amroha Police took to Twitter to call out the lies spread by the journalist and forwarded the matter to the cyber cell to initiate necessary action against her.

Earlier, Arfa had quoted a tweet from an unreliable source to assert that a Dalit boy was killed in a temple for praying. “There’s no community in the world that’s more persecuted and oppressed than the Dalit community in India. When will this tyranny end ?” Arfa tweeted with the hashtag #DalitLivesMatter.

However, within an hour of Arfa’s tweet, Amroha Police’s official Twitter account responded, putting paid to the rumours of caste bias being the motive for the crime. Issuing a clarification, the Amroha Police repudiated Arfa’s claim of caste prejudice being the reason for the unfortunate incident and claimed that it was an internal fight over a sum of Rs 5,000.

Ruling out the caste dispute as to the cause of murder, the police informed about the arrest of 3 men in the case. The police further added that the dispute between the two parties was about an amount of Rs 5000 over land issues. Further investigation is underway.

Superintendent of Police, Amroha police station, Vipin Tada, also clarified that the dispute was over Rs 5,000 and not a Dalit praying in a temple.

The police officer said that the victim had a partnership with the perpetrators of managing mango field and honeybee breeding. There was some dispute over the distribution of money, and after that, the two groups fought. The youth then ran away from the village but to avenge it, they returned and killed the victim. The police have caught the suspect and further investigation is on.

However, before police issued the clarification, a large number of people had already shared the fake news, including the mainstream media organisations such as Hindustan Times, Telegraph, India Today.

Did Pakistan shoot down its own F-16 aircraft amid blackout panic in Karachi: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Did Pakistan shoot down its own F-16 aircraft amid blackout panic in Karachi: Read details

On Tuesday night, the Pakistani security establishment and the citizens were found panic-stricken after there were rumours that Indian Air Force had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to fly over Karachi and other areas of Sindh.

The rumours got strengthened after there were also reports of Karachi city blackening out at the same time when sound of aircraft hovering on the port city could be heard by Karachi residents. A few local residents of Karachi had confirmed that the city was put under ‘blackout’. Rumours were after rumours of Indian Air Force fighter jets went close to Karachi and other parts of Sindh.

Following the scare, there were reports that, amidst the panic, the PAF had scrambled its fighter jets from Masroor airbase in response to Indian Air Force’s action along the LoC.

Indian Air Force had denied reports suggesting that their aircraft had crossed the Line of Control.

Hours later, there are unconfirmed reports emerging from the social media, that the Pakistan Air Force, amidst all the panic, had confused one of its own F-16 fighter aircraft for IAF fighter aircraft and shot it down.

Various social media users took to Twitter to state that one PAF F-16 fighter aircraft had not returned to Masroor airbase after it was sent to Combat Air Patrolling mission to detect and push back Indian fighter jets. The aviation experts alleged that Pakistan Air Force had shot down its own F-16 aircraft involved in CAP mission by mistaking it to Indian jets.

Image Source: Spadex
Image Source: Oxomiya Dhulia

Another user posted an image speculating that Pakistan Air Force had shot down its F-16 using a missile.

Image Source: Tushar

Twitter user Arya Shreshtha claimed that there were speculations that Pakistan had shot down its F-16 aircraft last night and the Pakistan Air Force and China had also begun a search operation over the Arabian Sea.

However, both the Pakistan Air Force and the ISPR have maintained a radio silence over the incident and neither of them have publicly put out any statements about the incident of alleged shooting of one of its F-16 fighter jets. To summarise, there is no official confirmation or denial on this. We shall update the report once the Pakistan authorities issue a statement.

Panic in Pakistan over rumours of IAF jets crossing LoC

Earlier in the day, there were reports suggesting that panic gripped across Pakistan on Tuesday night after the Indian Air Force fighter jets had allegedly crossed the Line of Control and flew over Karachi, leading to authorities in Pakistan blacking out the city.

Various Pakistani social media users took to Twitter to express their fear over another Indian Air Force action inside Pakistan. According to the local residents of Karachi, the city was put under ‘blackout’ after rumours of Indian Air Force fighter jets went close to Karachi and other parts of Sindh.

The citizens of Pakistan had said their fear was similar to that of 27th Feb 2019 – the night of Balakot airstrike, after they heard PAF jets patrolling the sky, following the scare. The Indian Air Force had denied any such activity. In fact, there were reports that the Pakistanis had mistaken PAF aircrafts for IAF aircrafts.

Ex-Congress MLA who quit the party with Jyotiraditya Scindia assaulted, says Congress trying to eliminate him

OpIndia Staff
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Ex-Congress MLA who quit the party with Jyotiraditya Scindia assaulted, says Congress trying to eliminate him

Ex-Congress MLA from Gwalior East, Munnalal Goyal, who had resigned from the State assembly after Jyotiraditya Scindia had left Congress and joined BJP, was attacked by some locals Tuesday.

The ex-MLA was attacked when he reached the Sriole police station after meeting the bereaved family of a Dalit boy, Paras Jauhri (19), who was murdered in Gwalior on Monday night by some unidentified armed assailants. Munnalal Goyal has accused Congress party of trying to eliminate him, seeing his growing influence in Dalit community. 

As over a dozen MLAs had resigned from the Congress, by-polls are expected to be held soon. Goyal is a considered strong contender from his constituency.

The ex-Congress MLA was attacked outside Sirole police station

According to reports, when Goyal reached the Sriole police station, five to ten people attacked his four-wheeler with stones. Goyal confirmed that when he reached the police station a mob already present there surrounded his car. Few miscreants from the crowd pelted stones at his car. The ex-MLA confirmed that had the driver not used his presence of mind and reversed the car then there were chances of a bigger mishap.

Goyal has reportedly sustained injuries on his face and leg as he was left bleeding in the assault. His vehicle was also damaged in the stone-pelting. The ex-Congress MLA was rushed to a private hospital for treatment.

Goyal did not lodge any complaint with the police. He said that he has left the decision on the public. Later in the afternoon, Munnalal Goyal appeared before the media in Gwalior and accused the Congress party of being behind the attack.

Dalit boy’s murder

The assault took place when Munnalal Goyal was returning after meeting Paras Jauhri’s family who was murdered inside his home in Footi Colony in Jatav Mohalla falling under the limits of Sriole police station in Gwalior on Monday.

Paras Jauhri was a BA student and reportedly a witness in a case where the statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar was vandalised in the past. He was allegedly attacked when he was in his first-floor room. His mother claimed of spotting some locals fleeing from the nearby roof after the assault. He was unable to speak due to the injuries and was later declared brought dead at a hospital, claimed the family.

The family has named five locals and two others as suspects in the case. Though Police had lodged a case, locals had gathered at Sirole police station on Tuesday morning.

Heavy police force has been deployed in the Hurawli area after the murder.

Congress attacks back

Meanwhile, Gwalior’s district Congress President Dr Devendra Sharma retorted to Goyal’s allegations saying that the former MLA plotted the attack to garner sympathy. Alleging foul-play, Sharma further said that despite the fact that Goyal’s security guards are present with him 24X7, what made him leave them behind when he visited Sirole on Tuesday.

Fact check: Dalit boy killed by upper caste men for praying in temple in Amroha? Here are the facts

OpIndia Staff
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Fact check: Dalit boy killed by upper caste men for praying in temple in Amroha? Here are the facts

On Tuesday, social media was abuzz with the reports that a Dalit boy was allegedly killed by upper caste men for praying in a temple.

Soon, ‘Dalit Lives Matter’ hashtag was being used by the usual suspects. Film director Neeraj Ghaywan, too joined in. Some even brought in the false equivalence to Black Lives Matter movement in the US. Kashmir-based journalist Fahad Shah also questioned whether there will be a campaign over this.

Following the Pulwama terror attack, Shah had spread rumours on social media that some Kashmiri girls were ‘trapped’ inside in a hostel at Dolphin college in Dehradun, asking for help since there was a mob outside. Uttarakhand Police had then dispelled the rumours.

Soon it was picked up by mainstream media too.

Hindustan Times
India Today

The reports quoted the victim’s father’s claims that the boy got into an altercation with some ‘upper caste’ youth in the village over entering the temple.

Telegraph

The Wire, too, reported the story.

The Wire

However, that is not true. Amroha Police has clarified the above unfortunate incident had nothing to do with caste bias but it was an internal fight over a sum of Rs 5,000.

Police has ruled out caste dispute as cause of murder. As per police, 3 men have already been arrested in the case. The police stated that both the parties were caught in a dispute of ₹ 5000 over land issues. Further investigation is on in this matter.

Superintendent of Police, Amroha police station, Vipin Tada, also clarified that the dispute was over Rs 5,000.

The police officer said that the victim had partnership with the perpetrators of managing mango field and honeybee breeding. Over disputed money, the two groups fought. The youth then ran away from village but to avenge it had returned and killed the victim. The police has caught the suspect and further investigation is on.

George Floyd protests: Protestors bring down statue of Christopher Columbus in Richmond, behead Columbus statue in Boston

OpIndia Staff
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George Floyd protests: Protestors bring down statue of Christopher Columbus in Richmond, behead Columbus statue in Boston

In their protests against racism, the agitators in the Richmond city of Virginia vandalized the statue of Christopher Columbus who was said to be a ‘sign of genocide’ for the people of America. As per the reports of nbc12.com, protestors tore down the statue at around 9 pm in Byrd park after a peaceful demonstration in the honor of indigenous people. Right after that, the statue was ripped from its foundation, painted with spray, and then was set blazed. After this, they threw the statue in the nearby lake.

It took the protestors less than two hours to gather in the Byrd park, sloganeering against racism and chanted against the statue of the voyager that was installed in that area. The pedestal was later painted with spray and covered with a placard saying ‘Columbus represents Genocide’.

Reportedly, no cop was present in an around the demonstration while a chopper was seen circling the area. Activist Chelsea Higgs-Wise while talking to the protestors in the Byrd park said in her speech, “We have to start where it all began. We have to start with people who stood first on this land.”

Reportedly, the statue was the first Columbus statue in the southern part of the country, which was installed in December 1927 in Richmond.

Christopher Columbus statue beheaded in Boston

In an another similar incident, the statue of christopher columbus was found beheaded. Reportedly, the incident is of North End’s Christopher Columbus park in Boston.

Christopher Columbus Courtesy via Twitter

As per reports of wpxi.com, Boston parks and recreation commissioner said that destroying the public property is not a way to protest.

The incident happened during the protests against the death of George Floyd in police custody that triggered riots in the various parts of the country. Violent mobs have rampaged through the streets pillaging and looting stores and engaging in vandalism and arson.

Netizens reacted on the incident

Christopher Columbus was a well-known voyager of Italian origin who completed four voyages across the Atlantic ocean bringing colonization in America. He is credited with ‘discovering’ the Americans, and it is accused that he used violence to take over territories from native Americans already living in the Americans from pre-historic times.

Americans reacted to the incidents related to statues of the voyager. Some netizens were seen calling the protestors ‘idiots’ and Columbus a ‘learned’ man.

Various aspersions about whose statue will be the next by the netizens was also noticed.

Delhi-based firm accused of spying on individuals, organisations in several countries, hacking senior politicians, NGOs, and CEOs

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi-based firm accused of spying on individuals, organisations in several countries, hacking senior politicians, NGOs, and CEOs

An IT firm from Delhi named ‘BellTroX InfoTech Services’ has been accused of providing hacking services to help clients spying on over 10,000 email accounts over a period of seven years, reports Reuters.

According to a Reuters report, the New Delhi-based technology company, BellTroX InfoTech Services, is alleged to be linked with a ‘hack for hire’ operation, targeting thousands of individuals and organisations in six continents, including senior politicians, government prosecutors, CEOs, journalists and human rights defenders.

The BellTroX InfoTech Services has been accused of targeting high-level email accounts including those of European government officials, gambling tycoons in the Bahamas, and big-time investors in the United States including equity giant KKR and Muddy Waters.

‘Dark Basin’

Some of the other targets are allegedly the Rockefeller Family Fund, Climate Investigations Center, Greenpeace, Center for International Environmental Law, Oil Change International, Public Citizen, Conservation Law Foundation, Union of Concerned Scientists and several others.

The other targets of the Delhi-based IT company include judges based in South Africa, politicians in Mexico, lawyers based in France, environmental groups and journalists from the US.

According to report by Reuters, the people familiar with the company said that the American companies targeted by the BellTroX are currently under investigation by the US law enforcement.

Even US advocacy groups are also repeatedly targeted by the spying from Delhi-based IT company. The digital rights organizations Free Press and Fight for the Future, both of whom have lobbied for net neutrality, have been affected in a limited manner as only a few numbers of employee accounts were compromised.

The ‘Citizen Lab’ a laboratory based in Toronto which reportedly investigated the said firm’s association with hacking services, had named it Dark Basin. The Citizen Lab has stated that Dark Basin has been linked to phishing and espionage of American nonprofits organisations working on a campaign called #ExxonKnew, which had claimed that ExxonMobil had suppressed information about climate change for decades.

IT firm spied with malicious emails, porn websites

Reportedly, BellTroX spied on its victims with malicious emails, some imitating colleagues or relatives while others disguising as graphic notifications to unsubscribe from pornography websites.

According to an investigation by Reuters, tens of thousands of malicious messages designed to fool victims into giving up their passwords were allegedly sent by BellTroX between 2013 and 2020.

Toronto-based Internet watchdog Citizen Lab has reportedly spent over two years investigating the Delhi firm’s hacking operations. “This is one of the largest spy-for-hire operations ever exposed,” said Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton according to the Reuters report.

Even though these small firms do not come under the radar compared to the state-sponsored espionage groups or headline-grabbing heists, cyber mercenary services are widely used, Railton said. He added that the investigation found that no sector is immune.

IT firm owner denies any wrongdoing

BellTroX’s Gupta has been charged in a hacking case in which two US private investigators had confessed to paying him to hack the accounts of marketing executives. Later, Gupta was declared a fugitive in 2017.

Meanwhile, Sumit Gupta, who is the owner of the company, declined to disclose who were his clients and also denied any wrongdoing. The details of the BellTroX’s clients are still unknown. Gupta said he had only ever helped private investigators download messages from email inboxes after they provided him with login details.

“I didn’t help them access anything, I just helped them with downloading the mails and they provided me all the details,” he told Reuters. “I am not aware how they got these details but I was just helping them with the technical support,” said Sumit Gupta.

“I will snap your neck till it breaks”: Late Ajay Pandita’s daughter pledges vengeance against the terrorists who killed him

OpIndia Staff
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“I will snap your neck till it breaks”: Late Ajay Pandita’s daughter pledges vengeance against the terrorists who killed him

“You think you have killed Ajay Bharti? His tiger is still alive here. You don’t know me. I am Ajay Bharti’s daughter. I will never lose. I want to hit him (Ajay Pandita’s killer) with at least one bullet, just one bullet,” Niyanta, the valiant daughter of late Kashmiri Pandit sarpanch Ajay Pandita, angrily said.

Devastated by her father’s loss, Niyanta pledged vengeance against the terrorists who killed her father on Monday when he had gone to work in his orchard. “Those who killed my father, beware, his daughter is alive. I will hold you by your neck and snap it until it breaks. Your soul would shudder at the pain that I am going to inflict on you,” she said.

Reminiscing her father’s imparted wisdom, Niyanta asserted that her father never taught her to differentiate between people of different faiths. Father said that religion is not the source of evil, but people’s guarantee cannot be taken, she said.

Niyanta, called by her father as “Shera”, also added that the entire family was in shock and pain to hear about the demise of her father but they are proud that their son gave the supreme sacrifice for the country and the respect he received from the people of India.

We are all devastated and overcome with grief at the brutal killing of my father by the terrorists. But I am also extremely proud of him. I understand that the nation is roiled with too many things at the present moment but it is the least that the country can do for those protecting it. Now what? Aren’t we stand the risk of being attacked? We will go back to Kashmir. Regardless of what happens. Kashmir is my father’s homeland and we are not going to abandon it. We are not afraid of speaking truth to power,” Niyanta said to Arnab Goswami on Republic TV.

Ajay Pandita shot dead by terrorists

A Kashmiri Pandit Sarpanch was shot dead on Monday by terrorists in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. Congress Sarpanch of Lokbowan Larkipora, identified as Ajay Pandita, was fired upon by the terrorists who later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.

According to the police sources, the sarpanch had gone to work in his orchard when he was attacked by the terrorists. The area has been cordoned off soon after the shooting.

“Convenient attempt to ignore historical blunders of Jawaharlal Nehru era”: Retired army officers slam Rahul Gandhi for his tweet on India-China border issue

OpIndia Staff
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“Convenient attempt to ignore historical blunders of Jawaharlal Nehru era”: Retired army officers slam Rahul Gandhi for his tweet on India-China border issue

A group of retired armed force officers have slammed senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his “ill-conceived” and “ill-timed” statements and tweets questioning the handling of India-China border disputes by the armed forces and the Government of India. The group has condemned Rahul Gandhi’s statement calling it against national interest.

His statements are “patently harmful to our national interest. In the past too, Rahul Gandhi and Congress leaders questioned the Indian armed forces’ ground and air strikes” read the statement issued by the group of nine retired army officers, including Lt Gen Nitin Kohli, Lt Gen R N Singh and Maj Gen M Srivastava.

Rahul Gandhi statement on border dispute betray’s his lack of knowledge, said the retired armed force officers

They said the Congress leader’s tweets and statements on border dispute with China “betray his lack of knowledge or are a convenient attempt to ignore historical blunders of Jawaharlal Nehru era”.

Blaming the Congress party for the lack of infrastructure in border areas, the retired officers said that the party which ruled India for the longest period of time is “squarely responsible for neglecting the border infrastructure development”.

Castigating him for the past blunders made by his great grandfather the retired officers asked: “Does Rahul Gandhi not know that Tibet was handed over to China on a platter by Mr Nehru and China constructed roads through Aksai Chin and later occupied it when Nehru was the prime minister.”

Retired armed force officers praise Modi government

The veterans praised the Modi government for being committed to developing the required infrastructure in border areas to enhance India’s combat effectiveness, which had not been done after the 1962 war, chiding the Congress senior member.

It said that Congress should support the government in its endeavour to resolve the border issue with China. Any attempts to the contrary are unforgivable and prejudicial to the national interest, said the retired officers underlining that opposition parties need to be sensitive and supportive and should refrain from playing petty politics on such important matters of national security and sovereignty.

“Indian government is also dealing very deftly diplomatically and supporting armed forces in resolutely protecting our borders,” the statement said.

The Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi, going by his penchant to use every opportunity to criticise Modi government, had on Wednesday alleged that China has taken away India’s territory in Ladakh and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue, saying that he has vanished.

Rahul Gandhi targets Modi government over Sino-India border issue

Sharing an article by the leftist propaganda website- The Wire, Rahul Gandhi Tweeted: “The Chinese have walked in and taken our territory in Ladakh. Meanwhile, the PM is absolutely silent and has vanished from the scene”.

Rahul Gandhi’s today’s Tweet

Rahul Gandhi has been using the Sino-India border issue for a few days to target the Modi government. Yesterday, Rahul Gandhi had directed a Tweet at the defence minister and demanded to know if the Chinese have occupied the Indian territory in Ladakh.

In a tweet directed at Rajnath Singh, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Once RM (Raksha Mantri) is done commenting on the hand symbol, can he answer: Have the Chinese occupied Indian territory in Ladakh?”

Rahul Gandhi’s yesterday’s tweet directed at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

The tweet came as a response to the Defence Minister’s salvo at the Congress party after Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks that India is strong in protecting its borders. Rahul Gandhi said that “everyone knows” the reality of the situation at the country’s borders. Tweaking a couplet from Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib, Rahul tweeted on June 8 in Hindi: “Everyone knows the reality of ‘Seema’ (Border) but to keep the heart happy, ‘Shah-yad’ it is a good idea.”

India and China disengage at multiple points in Eastern Ladakh

However, in a significant sign of de-escalation between India and China, the Indian and Chinese troops have decided to disengage at multiple points in Eastern Ladakh after over a month of border tensions between the two countries.

According to the reports, the People’s Liberation Army has moved back its troops and infantry combat vehicles by 2.5 km by in Galwan area, Patrolling Point 15 and Hot Springs area. In reciprocation, India has also moved some of its troops back.

Reportedly, the talks between the two countries are being held this week at multiple locations including Patroling point 14 (Galwan area), Patrolling point 15, and Hot Springs area. The top sources within the government said that because of the Lt Gen-level talks held on June 6, the Chinese Army has pulled back its troops from the Galwan valley, PP-15 and Hot Springs in Eastern Ladakh area by 2 to 2.5 kilometres.

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