
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that though New Delhi remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Ladakh, it is prepared to tackle "all contingencies".
"We do remain committed to a peaceful resolution of the current situation. At the same time, we remain prepared to deal with all contingencies," said Singh in the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) of the Parliament.
The defence minister also said Chinese actions in the Ladakh border reflect a disregard of various bilateral agreements signed between both the sides, adding that the amassing of the Chinese forces is against the 1993 and 1996 agreements.
He also hailed Indian troops for displaying 'sayyam' (patience) in the region despite Chinese provocations and for equally showcasing 'shaurya' (valour) to protect the territorial integrity.
"The conduct of our armed forces throughout these incidents shows that while they maintained 'Sayyam' in face of provocative actions, they also equally displayed 'Shaurya' when it was required to protect the territorial integrity of India," Singh said.
He also accused China of claiming Indian territory of 90,000 sq km in the Eastern Sector of the boundary in the state of Arunachal Pradesh and said the country illegally occupied 38,000 sq km in the Union Territory of Ladakh.