China's amassing of troops and attempt to alter status quo responsible for eastern Ladakh row: India
India TV NewsIndia on Thursday blamed China's actions of amassing a large number of troops close to the border and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo along the Line of Actual Control last year for the continuing military standoff in eastern Ladakh, and asserted that these acts were in violation of Sino-India bilateral agreements. India's strong comments on the border row came a day after China said its military deployment in the region is a normal defence arrangement aimed at "preventing and responding" to "encroachment and threat" on Chinese territory by "relevant country". "It is well recognised that it has been the Chinese actions over the last year, including amassing of a large number of troops close to border areas in the western sector and trying to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC, which have seriously disturbed peace and tranquillity in the border areas," external affairs ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing. "China's military deployment along the western section of the China-India border is a normal defence arrangement aimed at preventing and responding to encroachment and threat on China's territory by relevant country," he said.