Arunachal Pradesh Urban Affairs, Land Management, and Civil Aviation Minister Balo Raja on October 28 asserted that India stands in a position of firm strength along the Line of Actual Control with China, strongly rejecting suggestions of weakness following recent controversy surrounding reported remarks by Indo-Tibetan Border Police leadership. Speaking to reporters in Itanagar, Raja questioned why senior security officials would project the country as vulnerable, urging confidence in India’s expanding intelligence capabilities and operational readiness. Raja’s comments came in response to reported statements by ITBP Director General Shatrujeet Singh Kapur regarding ongoing face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops at multiple locations along the Arunachal Pradesh frontier. The reported remarks have sparked significant political debate, with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi sharply criticizing the Narendra Modi-led Central government and demanding full transparency on the border situation. Owaisi called for a detailed parliamentary debate and an independent comprehensive report on alleged Chinese intrusions, questioning whether Indian patrols and civilians were being blocked from accessing certain areas. In response to the growing controversy, the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that specific operational details remain under the purview of the Ministry of Defence, while acknowledging that border conditions occasionally become disturbed when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns. The MEA reiterated that India and China continue to utilize existing diplomatic and military channels to resolve outstanding friction points along the LAC, emphasizing that maintaining peace and tranquility along the frontier remains essential for the overall development of bilateral relations between the two neighboring nations.
