Army denounces reports of ‘road blockages’ in LAC patrol
Reports from the media about challenges in the disengagement process with China across the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh were rejected by the Indian Army on Thursday.
The army stated there were no such difficulties from either side and that the published pieces were “speculative” and “bereft of facts,” requesting that media outlets apply “due editorial discretion.” Additionally, it asked media outlets to “verify and authenticate facts” before disseminating such material.
The Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADG PI – Indian Army) stated in a post on X that “some media articles on 06-07 November 2024 have conjectured about obstacles/objections in the disengagement process consequent to the consensus between the Indian and Chinese sides on 21 October 24.”
The army said that disengagement has been completed in the two remaining locations in eastern Ladakh, Depsang and Demchok. It said that there are no “roadblocks/objections” from either side and that the return to conventional patrolling responsibilities is being carried out in a scheduled way.
“The published articles in this regard are speculative and devoid of facts,” it said. Before publishing such delicate pieces, the relevant media outlets are asked to confirm and validate the facts and apply appropriate editorial judgment to ensure that no false or unsupported material is spread.
Last month, all parties agreed to resume their usual patrols activities in Depsang and Demchok, concluding the disengagement process. This comes two days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the agreement between Chinese and Indian forces will be put into effect “to everybody’s satisfaction” in the days ahead.
Following a four-year military stalemate between the two forces, India declared on October 21 that it and China had achieved an agreement on patrols along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
