'Return to status quo ante needed for normalcy in Eastern Ladakh'

Update: 2022-10-04 17:19 GMT

New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Tuesday said appropriate "non-escalatory" measures were taken in response to recent Chinese air activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and that return to status quo ante prior to the standoff was key for the situation to become normal in the region.

The Chief of Air Staff said Chinese actions along the frontier including in the Ladakh sector are being monitored constantly and the IAF's overall preparations are part of continuing efforts irrespective of whether it sees any challenge from China.

He was addressing a press conference ahead of the Air Force Day on October 8.

"The benchmark to say the situation on LAC is normal would be to return to status quo ante and complete withdrawal from all the points all along the LAC. That is the situation that we are looking for," he said, replying to a question.

His comments came days after Chinese envoy Sun Weidong claimed that the situation along the border is "overall stable" and the two sides have moved from the "emergency response" that followed the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020 to "normalised" management.

India has been insisting on the restoration of the status quo ante prior to the standoff in eastern Ladakh.

Asked about reports of China's air incursions and military activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said the issue was taken up with the Chinese military and that all the activities by the adversary are being monitored.

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