‘Love Jihad’ twist to Sandalwood Drugs Scandal

‘Love Jihad’ twist to Sandalwood Drugs Scandal 

Syed Ali Mujtaba 

The Sandalwood drug scandal in Karnataka has led to arrest of several film stars that has now sparked a new controversy and that’s ‘Love Jihad.’ Sandalwood refers to the Kannada language film industry in Karnataka.

The Sandalwood drug scandal story became juicy after the arrest actress  Sanjjanaa Galrani by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) on September 8.

A twitter handler @ShobhaBJP whose actual name is Shobha Karandlaje has raised the issue of the evil link between Love-Jihad-and Drugs. She pointed out that ‘Love-Jihad’ cases being reported across the country has links with drugs mafia. This BJP sympathizer wanted this angle to be also probed and the motive to stir social harmony to be stopped. 

It is true that Sanjjanaa Galrani had converted to Islam in October 2018 and changed her name to Mahira. In the affidavit, the actress had declared that she converted to Islam on her own will after studying Islam for years. The document also has her photograph along with the date of conversion i.e. 9th October 2018.

Sanjjanaa Galrani who had made her film debut in Tamil Movie Oru Kadhal Seiver (2006), and soon became known for her controversial role in the Kannada film Ganda Hendathi (2006) remake of the Hindi film Murder (2004) is surrounded by rumors of dating Dr. Azeez Pasha, a Bengaluru-based cardiovascular surgeon.  

The speculation became nearer to truth when a picture of Sanjjanaa Galrani with Azeez Pasha surfaced in the social media confirming their relationship. In the picture both could be seen dressed in a traditional outfit, which looks like a wedding attire. 

On being quizzed, both Sanjjanaa and Dr Azeez had shared differing views about their marital status. The actress’ mother’s had her own opinion. Sanjjana who is trained in salsa dancer said; “I am not married, I want to make it clear that I am not,” She said while addressing to the media on the drug case. 

On the other hand, Dr Azeez said, “Yes, the photograph is from a ceremony that is akin to a marriage.” But when Sanjjanaa’s mother was asked, she confirmed that actress got engaged to Pasha and their wedding was postponed due to Covid 19. 

“They were engaged around three and a half years ago. They were set to be married this April, but the pandemic made us postpone it,” Sanjjanaa’s mother said. 

The Sandalwood Drug Case heated up after the arrest of Kanada actress Ragini Dwivedi on September 3, 2020.  The arrest was made linking Kanada film actors with drugs. On September 8, the Central Crime Branch also arrested Sanjjanaa Galrani’s in the same case. 

Sanjjanaa came under scanner after her assistant was held by the CCB officials for alleged role in supplying drugs in film parties. 

Currently, Sanjjanaa and Ragini are lodged in the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail in Bengaluru. Both have vehemently denied all such allegations.  

Sanjjanaa in a video that went viral is seen refusing to give her blood samples and then arguing with the investigating officer and other senior doctors that she had lost trust in the police and that she had no clue why she was arrested.

The Central Crime Branch officials have named 12 people in the First Information Report (FIR) related to the use of contraband drugs in Sandalwood. 

The CCB also arrested actor Ragini Dwivedi’s, friend and RTO clerk Ravishankar, realtor Rahul Shetty and an event manager, Viren Khanna, and Rahul Thonshe,  a close friend of Sanjjanaa Galrani. 

In the FIR, it has been mentioned that both the actresses Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani supplied illegal narcotic substance during parties that they organized. Apart from this, actor couple; Aindrita Ray and Diganth Manchale were also summoned during the investigation of the Sandalwood drug case.

Sanjjanaa Galrani who is brought up in Bengaluru, is of Sindhi origin. She received her first modeling offer when she was in college. She appeared in over 60 television advertisements, the most notable being a ‘Fastrack’ with John Abraham.

Sanjjanaa Galrani has done over 50 projects including 43 films. Her films  include with Shivanna , Darshan , Pawan Kalyan, Prabhas Raju , Mohanlal, Mamooty besides other stalwarts in South India film industry. Her television projects include ‘Big Boss’ in Kanada.  She has also worked at Colours Channel in Hindi.  

The Sandalwood Drugs scandal has echoes from the arrest of Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty. Rhea was arrested for her alleged role in the drugs angle which had emerged in the investigations into the suicide death of her boyfriend and actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Sushant Rajput was found dead at his apartment in Mumbai on June 14. The initial investigation revealed that prima facie it was a case of suicide but later his death has led to a drug trail in Bollywood, investigation of that is still being going on.   

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com

On a Ladak Cliff India- China doing Handstands

On a Ladak Cliff India- China doing Handstands

Syed Ali Mujtaba

The Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Pangong Tso remains poised on a razor’s edge. India- China animosity is high, mutual trust is nonexistent, and all past agreements and mechanisms that provided the basis for managing the border dispute has gone for a toss. The situation is slipping fast towards a point of no return, but a war that looks eminent is something that both sides have ruled out.

This has come out clearly in the India-China five points agreement between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the margins of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meet in Moscow. They agreed that these five points will guide the two countries to ease the tension and work towards disengagement on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The five points are; i) Both sides should not allow differences to become disputes. ii) Both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocols. iii) Border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue iv) Both sides to continue communications through the Special Representatives mechanism V) Both sides should expedite to conclude new confidence-building measures.

However the force posture on the ground suggests both sides may not move towards any military de-escalation.  It is because of this the situation on the LAC is not only alarming but incredibly on the edge.  Indian and Chinese troops are just a few hundred meters apart at a forward position at Pangong Tso.  It appears India- China are doing handstands on the edge of a cliff in Ladak.

 India has consolidated its force posture and held its forward position there. China has mobilized massive number of troops including artillery, armored vehicles paratroopers, infantry and air defence personnel. Its H-6 bombers and Y-20 large transport aircraft are deployed at the LAC.

It looks both the countries are readying for war. But are there any real incentives for war?  India certainly does not want a military conflict, less so because country’s economy is devastated due to the pandemic.  On the other hand China too does not want a war because it has other theaters of conflict hotter than Ladak.

So what does India and China wants? China wants India to accept its bigger power status and its right to set the terms of engagement. China further wants to force India to do reverse act without crossing the threshold of war. However, India is equally determined not to play into the Chinese hands. Rather India wants to go on the front foot and test Chinese nerves as to how far it can go in such war of attrition.

There is no sign of urgency between the contending parties and even the approaching winter has no impact on the easing of the tensions. Both the countries are caught in mental complacence determined for a long haul waiting for other to blink. There is a danger in such strategy because longer the standoff, the likelihood of tinderbox to get ignited due to any miscalculation.

So what is at stake? Can India cede some of its territory that it claims since 1962 and accept a unilateral withdrawal at LAC to defuse the escalating tension.  This would mean redrawing of the LAC and accepting revision of LAC at China’s diktats.

India has rejected such idea and has chosen to remain firm on the ground and to achieve its strategic objective that is making China bend as if it’s an Arm wrestling.

On the other side, China as the stronger power sees no merit in pulling back its troops, restoring status quo ante and handing over India a “win“on a platter. Beijing is determined that not an inch of its territory to be lost. Chinese side perceives that such a compromise on its part will not be seen as the benevolence of greater power, but surrender to a resolute Indian side. So Chinese side is determined its military is fully capable and confident in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

So what could be done in such a situation? External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had earlier said that the recent standoff between India and China “has to be found in the domain of diplomacy.” However he quickly qualified his statement that any solution must be “predicated on honoring all agreements and understandings and not attempting to alter the status quo unilaterally.”

However, in the dialogue between defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe on the margins of SCO at Moscow, the Chinese side said that onus of the crisis is on India. And to this the defence minister made counter allegation. He added  India is equally determined to protect its sovereignty and its territorial integrity.  So whatever hopes for peace was built before the meeting got quickly dissipated.

Now External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s five point agreement with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, have put a question mark whether such agreement will really defuse the tension on the ground?

This becomes more nuanced with his statement that any solution must be “predicated on honoring all agreements and understandings and not attempting to alter the status quo unilaterally.”

If that is the case, will the Chinese side reciprocate him on the ground especially after having gained an upper hand in the LAC crisis? Going by the current situation where the two forces are poised head to head in an eyeball to eyeball confrontation, the space for any compromise is almost nonexistent.

It is certain that Chinese president Xi Jinping will not pullback its troops perceiving that the cost of conflict weighs higher than complying to India’s demand of going back to the April position. This will be a huge loss for Chinese image both at home and abroad and such idea is totally ruled out.

As far as India is concerned, going by the words of both Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affair’s Minister Jaishakar, it is crystal clear, that India is not going to accept the current status quo and push forward to dislodge the Chinese troops from its occupied position.

In such situation how can the tension be defused? Well someone has rightly pointed out that diplomacy is the art of making possibility. So, it is possible that a solution can still be hammered out through a face-saving formula but what would be that mutually acceptable face-saver formula remains a mystery.

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com

China Closing on India, Opened New Flash-Point at POK

 

China Closing on India, Opened New Flash-Point at POK

Syed Ali Mujtaba

China is closing on India at Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and has opened a new flashpoint with the construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam in POK. The way India has opposed the construction of the dam, it looks that after Ladak, the POK could be the next big flash point between India and China.  

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on July 15, 2020 had kicked off the construction work multi billion dollar project at the Diamer-Bhasha dam. Pakistan government in May 2020, signed a 442 billion contract with a joint venture of a Chinese state-run firm and a commercial arm of Pakistan’s military for the construction of this dam.

China Power, a Chinese state-run firm holds 70% and Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), a commercial arm of its Armed Forces hold 30% share in the consortium to build the Diamer-Bhasha dam.

Pakistan’s Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved the construction of the project in 2010. However, it suffered delays because of international lending agencies which remained associated with the project, backtracked due to opposition from India. Pakistan finally gave the contract to China.

India in May 2020 had vehemently objected to the construction of multipurpose Diamer Bhasha dam. India denounced the project calling it a violation of its territorial sovereignty. India has opposed the move on the grounds that Gilgit-Baltistan region is part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and all such projects in the Indian territories that are currently under Pakistan’s occupation are illegal.

"This dam will lead to submergence of a large part of land of the Indian union territories of J&K and Ladakh and we condemn the continuous attempts by Pakistan to bring about material changes in Indian territories under its illegal occupation,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.

China has rejected India’s concerns, calling them misplaced and asserted that the economic partnership between China and Pakistan are directed at enhancing development and the welfare of people.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing in Bajing that it is part of a "win-win" bilateral cooperation to promote the wellbeing of the local population and the dam would accelerate development and create job opportunities, besides improving availability of water and clean energy.

With regard to India’s objection that POK is inalienable part of India, the Chinese spokesman said, “China's position on the issue of Kashmir is consistent and it considers Kashmir is a historical baggage that has to be unloaded as per UNSC relevant resolutions.”

Since the major part of the Diamer-Bhasha dam is located in Gilgit-Baltistan, China has directly has crept into the theater of Kashmir conflict.  The construction of the dam has brought a new dimension into the Kashmir conflict and may become a source of conflict in the region.

Michael Kugelman, Deputy Director at the Asia program of Wilson Center at Washington DC says; “exploiting India’s vulnerabilities is an essential element of China’s “contain India” policy.”

“It is only a matter of time that China’s expansionist strategy in Kashmir is more visible and India will have no option then to challenge Chinese belligerence just like they did in Doklam, North Sikkim or Ladakh,” Kugelman added.

The US academic sees the growing Chinese investments in Pakistan-administered Kashmir as a strategy of closing on India. Kugelman  warns that Kashmir could emerge as the next big flashpoint between India and China where Pakistan will have pivotal role to play.

According to Kugelman, “these moves will bring one more tension to already strained India-China relationship. He was referring to the tense situation in Ladak where Indian and Chinese troops are locking horns on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Chinese investment in POK for the Diamer Bhasha dam has attracted  alarming response from India’s Defence head. Chief of the Defence Staff General Bipan Rawat has repeatedly talked about two front wars. About LAC standoff General Rawat has said, if negotiations fails with China, then India is ready with the option of war. The CDS is also of the view to bring the US into the theater India China Pakistan conflict. He has given statement that India should join ‘Quad’ to contain China at South China Sea.

Chinese moves in Kashmir have certainly aggravated strains to the already strained ties between India and China. The tension will involve Pakistan and the fact is all three are nuclear-armed neighbors, the prospects of the ‘Day After’ is chilling.

Many Indian experts have expressed concerns over the alarming situation developing on the LAC and LOC and attribute it to the ill-conceived hardline policies of the BJP government towards Kashmir, Pakistan and China.

The alarming situation has its echoes from the BJP’s historic judgment of abrogating Article 370 and doing away the special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP with such acts instead of cooling down the temperatures has added fuel to the fire and has complicated the situation on the ground.

War as an exit option from such complicated situation sends chill in the spines of many Indian. The BJP government is under the impression that China is another Iraq or Afghanistan where US may assemble a coalition of force and come for India’s rescue. If the US does not come for India’s defence can India hold the ground on its own?

This war of attrition started by the BJP for its domestic consumption may go out of control and in such situation anything could happen. The BJP may not be there to see the remains of the day, but will common Indians cope up with such a situation is the big question that begs for an answer.  

The best bet for India is to refrain from war mongering and cool down the temperatures that has reached a new high in India-China, India Pakistan relationship.

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com

 

 

 

Is BJP Responsible for Pushing Bangladesh out of India’s Orbit? Syed Ali Mujtaba

Is BJP Responsible for Pushing Bangladesh out of India’s Orbit?

Syed Ali Mujtaba

There are some noteworthy developments taking place in India- Bangladesh relationship which is not being reported in the mainstream media but has significant impact on India as a nation.

The first is India’s foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s visit to Dhaka on August 18-19, 2020.  The seriousness of the visit can be ascertained from the fact that India’s foreign secretary traveled to Dhaka on a chartered aircraft. Apparently he may be having some serious issues to discuss about India- Bangladesh bilateral relationship.

However he was treated in a lukewarm manner when he arrived in Dhaka. There was no Bangladeshi official to receive him at the Dhaka airport nor there was anyone to see him off when he left.

India’s foreign secretary was made to wait in his hotel room for almost four hours and then when he went to the PMO he had to wait for another one hour before was finally granted audience with Bangladeshi PM. This treatment is unprecedented in India- Bangladesh relationship, but no media ever reported and none had the audacity to ask uncomfortable question about it  to the MEA.

 “All Izz Well”- was the curt reply of MEA spokesperson India Anurag Srivastava when he was asked about it. His face expression and sounded tone was more of “Three Idiots,” type the Amir Khan’s blockbuster of 2009.   

The fact is there was no discussions on bilateral relationship with the Indian foreign secretary at the Bangladeshi PM at that brief meeting. Though as a protocol Bangladeshi foreign secretary was present in the meeting but the foreign minister of Bangladesh was conspicuous by his absence.

The entire meeting of Indian foreign secretary with Bangldeshi PM was only a courtesy call, a photo opportunity sans any tangibles a take away.  However, a hype was built in Indian media that Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s visit to Dhaka was a huge success.  

The second most noteworthy development in India- Bangladesh relationship is the shabby treatment meted to Ms Riva Ganguli, India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh. 

It is reported that Ms Riva Ganguli had to wait unsuccessfully for almost four months to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This is something significant as it suggests how much India Bangladesh relations have plumed and how far Dhaka has moved away from New Delhi’s orbit.

The most important events that had occurred when Ms Riva Ganguli has arrived in Dhaka in March 2019 are as follows.  Ms Riva Ganguli arrived to witness Dhaka-Delhi relations unfolding in a manner that was unbelievable with an Awami League government in power.

The first thing she witnessed was; Sheikh Hasina dropping several pro-India heavyweights from her new cabinet. This happened without New Delhi knowledge.

In October 2019, wshen Sheikh Hasina’s visited India her visit was downgraded from state visits to an official visit, depriving her of being received by the Indian Prime Minister on arrival, a 21-gun salute and the guard of honor, ceremony etc. This is a noticeable development in India- Bangladesh relationship but no media reported. 

Later in November 2019 when Sheikh Hasina was in Kolkata to watch Bangladesh-India cricket match but New Delhi soft peddled  her visit to West Bengal capital. Riva Ganguli who went to Kolkata to meet Bangladeshi PM was left gasping her breath.  

Ms Riva Ganguli is a witness to the first-hand account of Bangladesh establishing a hand-in-glove relationship with China. This extended to strategic areas where India was eased out right before her eyes.

Ms Riva Ganguli also watched China investing over $26 billion soon after her arrival in Dhaka in strategic areas, with promises of much more investments.

When India wanted to get the major strategic project i.e., the second terminal in Sylhet airport and MS Riva Ganguli wanted to meet Sheikh Hasina for this, the Bangladesh PMO delayed her appointment till the project was given to China.

All these suggest that India’s High Commissioner’s to Bangladesh has little role in molding the decision of the neighboring countries towards India. These developments has the potentials of game-changer in worsening the India- Bangladesh ties.

The main reason for deteriorating India- Bangladesh ties is the BJP government’s blatant anti-Muslim, anti-Bangladesh policy to energize its Hindutva vote bank. This indeed has severely impacted India Bangladesh relationship.

Home Minister Amit Shah openly called Bangladeshi Muslims as ‘termites.’ This was bait for Hindutva hardliners, a mental massaging to pump up their radical ideology. 

Some other BJP leaders had openly threatened the Bangladeshi Muslims to be thrown into the Bay of Bengal.

The National Registration Act (NRC), the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and all such actions of the BJP government  have anti – Muslin anti- Bangladesh agenda.

Even though the BJP remains in a denial mode the impact of its policies such as the NCR and the CAA, cast a long shadow on India- Bangladesh relationship.

The BJP in order to please its Hindutva constituency has mortgaged Bangladesh to China. The primary focus of the BJP is its Hindu vote bank and even though it means denial of the gains India had made in 1971.

Such anti-Muslim anti Islam policy of the BJP may be sound of music to the Hindu vote bank but it has sullied India’s image in the community of nations where Islam and Muslim’s have a significant global presence.

Another harm BJP’s Hindutva ideology has done to India is to re-establish the idea of two-nation theory propounded by Muslim League in 1940’s for which it is being blamed in India. It appears that the Hinduvta ideology of the BJP concurs with the idea of Muslim League and it tries to reinforce this version of Indian history.

Well these are some seminal changes taking place under the BJP rule in India. The primary focus of the BJP is building the Hindu identity of the country, even if it means denting India’s relationship with other countries. India's crest fallen relationship with Bangladesh is a pointer that the political leadership of the country is working against India as a nation.   

 The large Indian population has to a make judgment whether they want BJP and its ideology to dominate the political discourse in the country or it want to change the sullying image of India that is being perpetrated by the BJP though through it’s supermicist ideology. 

The ball of improving India-Bangladesh relations is in New Delhi’s court. A change in attitude in India’s foreign policy in dealing with the neighbor such as Bangladesh may go long way in mending the sullen ties.

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He is author of the book Soundings on South Asia (Sterling, 2005). He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com 

Love Jihad Echoes at Indian Girl’s marriage with Bangladeshi Boy

Love Jihad- Indian Girl’s marriage with Bangladeshi Boy

   By  Syed Ali Mujtaba

  Chennai: A Chennai-based businessman has lodged a complaint with the Chennai Central Crime Branch on May 21, 2020, that his daughter has been kidnapped from London to Bangladesh by some Bangladeshi nationals.

The girl's father in his complaint says that his daughter who was studying in London where a Bangladeshi national named Nafees enticed her into a relationship.

The girl’s father alleges that the prime accused Nafees, had married her daughter in London and later abducted her to Bangladesh where she is allegedly confined to a house.

Nafees is the son of a top politician in Bangladesh. His father is Shakhawat Hossain Bakul, a leader of Bangladesh National Party (BNP) who is a former Member of Parliament of Bangladesh.  

In the complaint the father of the girl says, her daughter was "radicalized" and was forced to convert to Islam. He calls the marriage as a case of ‘Love Jihad.’

The case came to light when the girl managed to call her parents from Bangladesh and revealed that she had been sexually harassed and was being tortured.

The girl’s father, who had migrated to Chennai from north India, a few years ago and runs a business in Royapuram then, contacted Nafees and others for her daughter’s release.

The culprits demanded money from him and made him lodge a complaint with the Chennai Central Crime Branch.

A case was registered in a Chennai police station relating to human trafficking against Nafees and few Bangladeshi nationals on a complaint for kidnapping of a city-based woman from the UK to Bangladesh.

 The City police station transferred the case to Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) which in turned transferred it to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).  

Chennai Police Commissioner Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal has said, since the case involves investigation in foreign countries it has been transferred to National Investigation Agency (NIA)

The NIA has confirmed that to have received information from the Tamil Nadu government regarding the registration of case on May 28, 2020.

The NIA has filed a FIR for alleged kidnapping and trafficking of an Indian citizen. It is investigating the case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

In the FIR the NIA has named Nafess as prime accused and few other Bangladeshi nationals. The FIR also includes other names like Malaysia based Islamic preacher, Zakir Naik and Yasir Qadri and Nauman Ali Khan, both US-based preachers of Pakistan origin.  

This high-profile case involves investigation in Bangladesh, UK, Malaysia, and the US. As a result investigation of this "love jihad" case is closely watched by many Indians.

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Survey says 89.1 Per Cent Chinese Support Military Retaliation against India

Survey says 89.1 Per Cent Chinese Support Military Retaliation against India

Syed Ali Mujtaba

Chennai Sept 2, 2020: The Global Times and China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) have recently conducted a survey on China- India border tension asking people if they agree that the Chinese government should be tough in fighting back against India's provocations.

 To this, 89.1 per cent support military retaliation and 50.4 per "strongly supporting" self-defence and counterattacks, the Global Times reported.

Meanwhile, China has issued a rebuttal to the Indian Army’s claims of August 31st events reported in the media that Indian troops had successfully foiled the PLA designs to cross the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The People’s Liberation Army PLA’s Western Theater Command issued a statement saying, its Indian troops that had "illegally crossed the LAC on August 31, which is a severe violation of the consensus reached before at the multi-level talks between the two countries."

"Such blatant provocations lead to tensions on the border," the PLA statement said, urging India to withdraw its troops that crossed the LAC and strictly restrain frontline forces.

"Indian action this time will definitely escalate tensions, as China has been forced to be tough and would take action; otherwise the Indian provocation would be endless," Chinese state-run newspaper 'Global Times' quoted PLA’s Western Theater Command statement.

Admitting that the "negotiations held by the both sides since June 15 have achieved limited progress, the Chinese media reportedly blamed India for maintaining a tough stance."

The report quoted experts saying that Indian side had "even urged Chinese troops to retreat from some locations within Chinese territory, which China has refused."

India's Ministry of Defence issued a statement on August 31 that Indian troops had preemptively thwarted Chinese intentions to unilaterally change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh.

It further said, People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops had violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.

"Indian troops preempted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on the ground," the government statement said.

The statement ended with pacifying not that the Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue, but is also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity.  

On Aug 24, 2020, Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat had said, if talk fails, military option to deal with Chinese transgressions is on the table.

He added that Indian armed forces are fully prepared to tackle any threat from China and there is no lack of coordination among the principal intelligence agencies.

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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com