Udhampur, June 17
No compromise was made to end the standoff with China in the Daulat Beg Oldie Sector of Ladakh in April, said General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command, Lt Gen KT Parnaik, on Monday.

Parnaik said Chinese troops were forced to go back to the pre-April 15 positions along the Line of Actual Control after talks were held between the two countries at various levels.

“I must make it clear that no compromise was made and we didn’t dismantle any structure in Chumur while dealing with China over the intrusion issue,” Parnaik told reporters at a function to mark the 42nd Raising Day of the Northern Command.

On April 15, troops of the People’s Liberation Army had come 10 km inside Indian territory in the DBO Sector and pitched tents. They refused to go back even after numerous flag meetings. The matter was resolved only after the ministerial-level intervention.

There were reports that China had agreed to move back after forcing India to dismantle some strategic structures in Chumur.

Parnaik said the Army had deliberately chosen not to make any public comments on the stand-off at that time as the government had taken up the responsibility to do so. "While the stand-off with China was going on, the Army had deliberately chosen not to make any public comments. At that time, the task of informing people was taken by the government and the foreign office was dealing with it directly," he said. Parnaik said intrusions were common in Ladakh as there is no clear demarcation of the LAC and both the countries have different perception about the border.

Parnaik said continuous surveillance on the Line of Control has considerably brought down infiltration.

“We are maintaining strong vigil and not giving militants any chance to sneak in,” said Parnaik.

Lt Gen Parnaik warned against the withdrawal of AFSPA from certain areas in J&K. “If it is revoked, the Army will not be able to act against militants effectively,” he said. The NC government has been pushing hard for AFSPA’s revocation. “We have informed the Defence Ministry about our concerns and it is now up to them to decide,” he said.