Jammu: Former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) S.P. Vaid, a retired 1986-batch IPS officer of the Jammu & Kashmir cadre, has said that the recent remarks by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapoor, a 1990-batch IPS officer of the Haryana cadre, about face-offs with Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh did not indicate that China had occupied any Indian territory.
Vaid’s comments came amid a political controversy following Kapoor’s statement that confrontations between Indian and Chinese forces had taken place at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh and were continuing. The remarks prompted opposition leaders to question the Centre about the situation along the India-China border.
Speaking to media, Vaid said Kapoor had referred to face-offs rather than an armed conflict or territorial occupation. He defended the role of ITBP personnel and argued that the force was responding to confrontational behaviour by Chinese troops.
SP Vaid Says Face-Offs Do Not Mean Territorial Occupation
Vaid said the ITBP chief’s statement should not be interpreted as confirmation that China had occupied Indian territory. He maintained that the remarks referred to confrontations between the two sides.
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“Look, it is clear that China has its sights set on Arunachal Pradesh. You can gauge this from their statements. Sometimes they even go as far as changing names of places. So how should one deal with a bully like China? You have to respond in the same language they use. The DG of the ITBP is simply stating that there have been face-offs with China in certain areas. This does not mean that an armed conflict is taking place. Yes, they do engage in bullying, and a bully must be countered with the same tactics. That is precisely what our brave ITBP personnel are doing. Shatrujeet Kapoor did not suggest that China has occupied any territory, contrary to the uproar being raised by the Congress. He merely mentioned that face-offs occurred. A face-off implies a lack of any friendly relations between the two sides,” said Vaid.
His remarks came as political parties sought clarification from the Centre on the nature of the reported confrontations and their implications for border security.
What the ITBP Chief Said About Arunachal Pradesh
On October 22, Kapoor addressed ITBP personnel in Alwar, Rajasthan, and spoke about confrontations with Chinese forces at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh. He also praised the performance of the force’s newly raised Shaurya commando teams during these encounters.
Kapoor said:
“Recently, a situation arose in Arunachal Pradesh where a face-off occurred at several places, which is still on. There, our Shaurya Commando teams have done a tremendous job.”
His remarks marked a public confirmation by the ITBP chief that face-offs were continuing at several locations, although he did not disclose specific details about the sites or the nature of individual encounters.
MEA Says Chinese Deviations From Patrolling Patterns Disturb Border Situation
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded to questions about Kapoor’s statement on October 23. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said disturbances occurred periodically when Chinese forces deviated from established patrolling patterns.
“As we have noted in the past, the situation in the India-China border areas gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns,” Jaiswal said.
He added that both countries continued to use diplomatic and military mechanisms to address outstanding issues and prevent misunderstandings along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). He also stressed the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas for the broader development of bilateral relations.
Congress Seeks Clarity on Border Situation
Kapoor’s remarks prompted Congress leaders to question the government’s handling of the reported face-offs. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called for clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising concerns about the status of border patrolling and the outcomes of diplomatic engagement with China.
The opposition has sought greater transparency regarding developments along the LAC, while the government has reiterated the importance of established diplomatic and military channels for managing border-related issues.
Vaid, meanwhile, maintained that the ITBP chief’s statement should be understood as a reference to face-offs rather than evidence of territorial occupation.
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