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Bhutan, India call China’s road construction “illegitimate”

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9 years ago

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Bhutan, India call China’s road construction “illegitimate”

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]China calls Danglong part of its “territory”

Bhutan has joined India in objecting to the construction of a road in what they called a “disputed territory” by China. Bhutan refuted China’s claim that the road construction in Sikkim sector’s Donglang was “legitimate” and lodged formal protest and asked China to “stop the work immediately” near Bhutan’s army camp.

On Wednesday, Vetsop Namgyal, Bhutan’s Ambassador to India called construction of the road by China as “violation of an agreement” between the two countries. He said that “Doklam (which is also known as Donglang) is disputed territory and Bhutan has written agreement with China that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, peace and tranquility should be maintained in the area”.

Indian and Chinese troops were already in the face-off in the Donglang area of the Sikkim sector.

Earlier, Chinese foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said “Donglang is part of China’s territory and it is indisputable”. He accused India of “raising the issue” on part of Bhutan saying “The Donglang area belonged to China since ancient times and it doesn’t belong to Bhutan nor it belongs to India”.

Without naming India, the Chinese spokesman said, “If any third party, out of hidden agenda, interfered, it is disrespect of the sovereignty of Bhutan, We don’t want to see this as Bhutan is a country entitled to sovereignty by the international community.” There are no diplomatic relations between China and Bhutan.

Donglang is located in a tri-junction close to the strategic area called Chicken Neck. China says that the Sikkim part of India-China boundary is settled and therefore India has no right to object over the road construction.

Beijing believes that the area is “undoubtedly” located on its side of the border as per the 1890 Sino-British Treaty on Sikkim. China says that according the treaty “Zhe” is the ancient name of Sikkim and the area, on which the Indian army has raised objection, is undoubtedly located on the Chinese side of the border.

Amidst ongoing stand-off, China stopped first batch of 50 Indian pilgrims for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra earlier this month. Six other batches were scheduled to make the trip. Out of 1,430 pilgrims, 350 were supposed to travel through Nathu La, while remaining pilgrims were set to go through Lipulekh, Uttarakhand, which is much longer.

Last week, Gopal Baglay, spokesman for Ministry of External Affairs, said there were “some difficulties” in the movement of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar via Nathu La pass and New Delhi was holding discussions with Beijing. Earlier it was reported that China took the decision due to landslides in Tibet.

On Wednesday, China said that India was to bear the responsibility for the ongoing stand-off in the Sikkim sector as well as the closure of Nathu La pass. Beijing defended its decision saying China had agreed to open the route as the boundary there has been delineated with the consent of both countries.

Chinese side opened Nathu La pass for Indian pilgrims in 2015. According to Chinese authorities, it worked well for two years and Chinese authorities had prepared for the reception of Indian pilgrims and informed Indian side about it. The reopening of the pass will depend on when or whether the Indian side will “correct its errors”, Lu said.

Chinese foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang had earlier said, “The Indian troops crossed the boundary at the Sikkim side to the Chinese territory. This is different to what was before in India-China boundary. China has made solemn representations against the same. India should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China.”

On Wednesday, China had lodged protest with India over the alleged “crossing of boundary” by its troops in the Sikkim section and demanded immediate “correction of the error”. The resumption of future visits of the pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar yatra will be linked to India withdrawing the troops from the area, China said.

The India-China stand-off comes even as bilateral ties nose-dived after India’s boycott of One Belt One Road summit in Beijing and China scuttling India’s bid to get membership of Nuclear Suppliers Group of countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking in a panel discussion at International Economic Forum Summit in St Petersburg (Russia) on June 2, said, “It is true that we have a border dispute with China. But in the last 40 years, not a single bullet has been fired because of the ongoing cooperation in trade and investments between the two countries.” He described how the world has increasingly become inter connected and inter-dependent in the present scenario.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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PM Modi takes aim at critics with Dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC centenary address

PM Modi revived his dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC’s centenary celebrations and spoke about India’s development journey.

Published

4 hours ago

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September 6, 2026

By

PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived his ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark while addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi on Saturday, using the term to criticise his opponents.

Speaking to students at the Delhi college, PM Modi described the phrase as a “homeopathic pill” and said it had prompted those he described as “dimagi Naxals” to come forward and reveal their views.

The prime minister also used his address to speak to Gen-Z about India’s development journey and asked students to consider the challenges the country had faced in the past.

PM Modi recalls past crises

During his speech, PM Modi referred to the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and the 2008 global financial crisis while criticising the handling of national emergencies by previous governments.

He said the government at the time of the Kedarnath disaster was shaken and questioned its ability to respond to the crisis.

Referring to the 2008 banking crisis, PM Modi alleged that the government of the time failed to effectively deal with the situation and claimed that India’s banking system was pushed close to collapse.

Prime minister lists challenges faced by his government

PM Modi also highlighted several major global crises that occurred during his government’s tenure.

He mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, disruptions to global trade and supply chains, and the crisis in West Asia.

The prime minister said there had been concerns that India would struggle during these crises but argued that the country had continued to move forward.

PM Modi’s earlier SRCC visit

PM Modi had earlier visited SRCC in 2013, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. His speech at the college received significant attention, particularly on social media, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

His latest visit came during the college’s centenary celebrations, where his address focused on young people, India’s development ambitions and the challenges faced by the country.

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India Metro Rail Network May Overtake US in 2 Years

India’s metro rail network has reached 1,170 km across 26 cities. Union minister Manohar Lal said the country could overtake the US in network length within two years.

Published

18 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

By

Manohar Lal Khattar

India is on track to become the country with the second-largest metro rail network in the world after China, with Union Minister Manohar Lal saying the country could overtake the United States within the next two years.

India’s metro rail network has now expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities. The network is only 216 km shorter than the US metro rail network, which stands at 1,386 km, according to figures cited by the minister.

India’s metro network expands rapidly

Speaking after the inauguration of an extended metro service in Indore, Manohar Lal highlighted the pace at which metro connectivity has grown in India.

He said metro services were operational across just 245 km in five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014. The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities.

The minister said India could overtake the US in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years and become the world’s second-largest country in this segment after China.

China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, according to the figures cited by the minister.

Indore metro extension inaugurated

The minister made the remarks after inaugurating an extended section of the Indore metro. The project was built at a cost of around Rs 2,850 crore.

The Indore metro was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations. Following the extension, the service will operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the metro service would mark a new phase in Indore’s development. He also said the network would eventually be extended to Ujjain and other nearby areas.

India’s metro rail network: Key figures

  • India currently has 1,170 km of operational metro rail network.
  • Metro services are operational across 26 cities.
  • The US has around 1,386 km of metro rail network.
  • India is currently 216 km behind the US.
  • China has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines.
  • India’s operational network stood at 245 km across five cities in 2014.

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PM Modi returns to SRCC after 13 years, revisits 2013 glass full speech

PM Narendra Modi returned to SRCC after 13 years for its centenary celebrations, revisiting themes from his landmark 2013 address.

Published

19 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

By

PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Saturday, 13 years after his previous visit to the institution as Gujarat chief minister. 

His latest visit came as SRCC marked its centenary celebrations. Modi’s 2013 address at the college had attracted significant attention as he spoke about India’s youth, governance and the country’s demographic potential.

In 2013, Modi was Gujarat chief minister and had not yet been named the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. He returned to the same campus this year as Prime Minister, having completed 12 years as Prime Minister and serving his third consecutive term. 

What PM Modi said at SRCC in 2013

The 2013 lecture was titled Emerging Business Models in the Global Scenario. The address also covered governance and India’s young population.

He described India’s youth as a source of national strength rather than simply a group of new-age voters. He also highlighted India’s demographic advantage and argued that the country needed to make better use of its young population.

One of the notable moments from the speech involved a glass of water.  Modi contrasted the conventional descriptions of a glass as half full or half empty and said he viewed it as full, with half containing water and the other half air.

The speech also included his remarks on technology and young Indians. Referring to an anecdote from a visit to Taiwan, Modi used the phrase “mouse-charmers” to describe Indians using computers and suggested that young Indians had the ability to influence the world through technology.

‘Minimum government, maximum governance’

Modi’s 2013 address also touched on governance. He spoke about the role of government and the need for better governance.

He also spoke about India’s potential in the 21st century. 

Modi returns as PM for SRCC centenary

The September 5 visit coincided with Teachers’ Day and SRCC’s 100th anniversary. The Prime Minister’s Office had announced that Modi would participate in the college’s centenary celebrations and address the gathering. SRCC was established in 1926 by industrialist and philanthropist Sir Shri Ram.

Earlier this year, Modi also met the SRCC governing body at his residence in April in connection with the college’s centenary celebrations and released a commemorative postage stamp marking the occasion. 

The return to SRCC came 13 years after his 2013 appearance at the college, when he addressed students as Gujarat chief minister.

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