India hesitant to take action in Ladakh border row with China: Antony

With the PLA indulging in yet another act of aggression at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, Congress leader and former defence minister AK Antony told senior journalist Amit Agnihotri that India's hesitation in taking any action was giving an impression that it lacks the will power to face the Chinese aggression.

New Delhi: India appears to be hesitant in taking action against Chinese incursions along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, feels former defence minister AK Antony, who argues that the Asian dragon has become aggressive having realized the South-Asian country's predicament.

"China realized India is hesitant to do anything and became aggressive. Everybody is wondering why the government is hesitant to act," Antony told ETV Bharat when asked about China's latest attempt at violating the LAC in the Pangong Tso lake area yesterday which was thwarted by the Indian Army.

India's former defence minister noted that violation of the LAC in eastern Ladakh by the Chinese People's Liberation Army troops has continued for around four months now during which India lost 20 soldiers in a deadly clash with the PLA troops in the Galwan Valley area on June 15. Unconfirmed reports had put the PLA casualty at 40, though China is mum over the figures.

"Border incursions have been happening for four months. So far Indian government has only been issuing statements while China is mobilizing its troops," said Antony.

PLA troop mobilization, he said, was happening not only in eastern Ladakh but along India's borders with China in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim as well.

Read:China's nightly raid in south Pangong is a first, openly violates rules of engagement

"The PLA troops are not allowing Indian patrol teams in areas where they earlier used to patrol," said Antony.

India's hesitation in taking any action against the PLA troops was giving an impression that "we are not showing will power to face the Chinese aggression" the former defence minister said.

The former defence minister said the Indian Army is fully prepared to deal with any such aggression.

"In 2013, a similar incident happened in the Depsang Valley where the Chinese forces had to quit ultimately and peace was restored," recalled Antony.

Antony was the longest serving defence minister for over seven years during the UPA government headed by then PM Manmohan Singh.

Read:Congress red flags Chinese missile structures near the border

Presenting a detailed statement in Parliament about India's defence preparedness, Antony had admitted the need to increase the defence budget to shore up the Army, Air Force and Naval capabilities.

Antony's remarks are in line with that of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi who has been targeting the Modi government over the India-China Ladakh border stand-off that has seen troop deployment from both the sides and has plunged relations between the two countries to a historic low.