India News

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

Published

9 years ago

June 29, 2017

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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India News

INDIA bloc likely to meet on September 30 over Gyanesh Kumar row

INDIA bloc parties are likely to meet in New Delhi on September 30 amid growing opposition to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Published

20 mins ago

September 26, 2026

APNLive Desk

Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc are set to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss concerns surrounding the Election Commission, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a proposed removal motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The proposed meeting comes amid growing coordination among opposition parties over the functioning of the poll panel and demands for action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The parties are also discussing a possible joint response to the developments.

Why is the INDIA bloc meeting being planned?

The INDIA bloc meeting on September 30 comes amid reports of objections within the Election Commission over certain decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise.

According to the report, Opposition leaders have been discussing a coordinated response to their concerns over the Election Commission and the electoral-roll revision process.

The issue is also expected to be discussed at the Congress Working Committee meeting scheduled for September 29, a day before the proposed INDIA bloc meeting.

Gyanesh Kumar removal demand in focus

The demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has become a major point of contention between the Opposition and the Election Commission.

The CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML)-Liberation have demanded Kumar’s removal and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise. Congress has also intensified its criticism of the CEC.

Opposition parties are also working on a fresh removal motion against Gyanesh Kumar. The September 30 meeting is expected to finalise the strategy for the motion, including the collection of signatures. According to the report, this would be the Opposition’s third such attempt.

What is the SIR controversy?

The political dispute is linked to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, or SIR.

The controversy intensified following a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on several occasions concerning decisions and orders related to the SIR process.

The Election Commission has said that differing views and observations are part of normal deliberations in a multi-member constitutional body. The poll panel has also maintained that its orders have legal sanction and follow statutory procedures, while stating that the final decisions on the SIR were taken unanimously.

TMC and Left parties coordinate over the issue

The developments have also brought the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M) together on the Election Commission issue, despite their political differences in West Bengal.

CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby proposed an immediate meeting to discuss a joint strategy. According to the report, Mamata Banerjee spoke with M A Baby and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, after which the leaders settled on September 30 for the meeting.

What could be discussed at the September 30 meeting?

The proposed meeting is expected to focus on:

Concerns surrounding the Election Commission
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls
Opposition demands concerning CEC Gyanesh Kumar
A possible fresh removal notice against the CEC
A coordinated response by INDIA bloc parties

The exact agenda and participation will depend on the discussions among the opposition parties before the proposed meeting.

India News

“Will die but won’t give up”: Sahil Wakode’s parents urge IIT students to continue fight

Sahil Wakode’s parents have appealed to IIT Bombay students to continue their fight for justice amid the ongoing investigation into their son’s death.

Published

1 hour ago

September 26, 2026

APNLive Desk

The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode have appealed to students to continue raising their voices and fighting for justice following their son’s death.

Sahil Wakode, a second-year student at IIT Bombay, died in his hostel room on September 18. His death has led to student protests and an ongoing investigation by the Mumbai Crime Branch.

What Sahil Wakode’s parents have alleged

Sahil’s parents have alleged that their son faced caste-based discrimination and harassment at IIT Bombay before his death. They have sought action against those they hold responsible and have demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The family has also called for a CBI inquiry and has sought the arrest of officials named in the case. These remain allegations and are part of the ongoing investigation.

The Mumbai Crime Branch took over the probe after an FIR was registered following the complaint by Sahil’s parents.

IIT Bombay’s position

IIT Bombay has said that Sahil was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.

The institute has maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. It said the matter had been discussed with him by the instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.

The circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death are being investigated by the appropriate authorities.

Investigation continues

The case remains under investigation, with the Mumbai Crime Branch examining the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death and the allegations made by his family.

His parents have continued to demand justice and action against those they believe were responsible, while the investigation is expected to establish the facts surrounding the case.

India News

Gyanesh Kumar meets election commissioners amid poll panel row

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar met Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi amid a controversy over reported objections to Election Commission decisions.

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2026

APNLive Desk

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar held a meeting with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi amid an ongoing controversy over the functioning and decision-making process of the Election Commission of India.

The meeting comes days after a report raised questions over formal objections allegedly recorded by the two Election Commissioners regarding several decisions and orders of the poll panel.

The Election Commission has maintained that differing views, observations and suggestions are part of its normal deliberative process. It has also said that all decisions taken by the full Commission over the past year were unanimous.

What is the Election Commission controversy?

The controversy followed a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period.

The reported objections included issues concerning changes to Form 6, the handling of additions and deletions from electoral rolls and the centralisation of electoral-roll data.

Form 6 is the statutory form used for applying for registration as a voter.

The Election Commission, however, has disputed the suggestion that the objections amounted to dissent over final decisions. The poll body said written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks and balances are standard parts of its functioning.

ECI says decisions were unanimous

The poll panel has said that all decisions taken by it during the past year were the outcome of unanimous decisions of the full Commission.

It also said that operational queries or inputs raised during the drafting stage are part of the normal administrative process and are intended to improve electoral procedures and safeguard voter rights.

The issue has gained significance because the Election Commission is conducting electoral-roll revisions, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), in several parts of the country.

Opposition parties have questioned the functioning of the poll panel and have cited the reported objections by the two Election Commissioners in their criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Political parties seek clarification

The controversy has also prompted calls for greater clarity from political parties, including some parties that are allies of the BJP-led NDA.

LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, TDP Lok Sabha floor leader Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha have sought clarification from the Election Commission regarding concerns surrounding the voter-list revision and the reported objections.

The Election Commission has continued to maintain that its decisions have followed the applicable laws, rules and established procedures.