27 Aug : India has said that the visit of Northern Commander Lt Gen BS Jaswal to China did not take place “due to certain reasons.”
Ministry of External Affairs, in an official statement, made it clear that there must be sensitivity to each others’ concerns. The statement said that the dialogue with China on these issue is ongoing.
China had refused permission to Northern Commander Lt Gen BS Jaswal to visit that country on the premise that he belonged to the area of Jammu and Kashmir.
The visit by a General rank officer to China is part of defence exchanges that was agreed upon between the two countries during the annual defence dialogue.
The visit was fixed for July, but it was not decided at that time as to who will be sent by India.Antony rules out snapping defence ties with China
Amid the controversy over China denying permission to a senior Army general to visit that country, Defence Minister A K Antony on Friday ruled out snapping defence ties with Beijing.
“It is not the question of breaking defence ties with China. We have close ties with China though there could be some problems occasionally,” he told reporters after laying the foundation-stone for a expansion project in the Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited in Hyderabad.
The Minister was responding to a question on whether India was considering snapping its defence ties with China in the wake of the recent misgivings between the two countries.
“Short-term problems would not affect India’s overall approach towards China,” the Defence Minister said. His comments come against the backdrop of China denying permission to Northern Army Commander Lt Gen B S Jaswal to visit that country as he comes from the “sensitive” Jammu and Kashmir area.
Political parties slam Chinese decision
Political parties on Friday closed ranks to slam China for its refusal to give visa to a top Army Commander responsible for Jammu and Kashmir.
In hardhitting remarks, several BJP leaders said India should not take the Chinese action of denying visa to Army’s Northern Commander Lt Gen B S Jaswal “lying down” and that this deserved to be retaliated in kind.
The visa to visit China was denied since the General was responsible for the Jammu and Kashmir area.
“Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and the Chinese action is an unfriendly act towards India. India should clearly tell that it considers the action as an unfriendly act,” Rajnath Singh, former BJP president said in Kolkata.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said that India has always maintained that it is interested in strengthening and consolidating relations with China.
“However, the relationship has to be premised on self respect and the sensitivities which concern each other,” he said.
Tewari said if there is any “unilateral violation” of the same, “any reaction that happens in the country, it is natural and justified and it should happen.”
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar said “We must strongly condemn the Chinese step. It is the worst kind of insult inflicted upon India by denying permission to Jaswal to visit China,” Javdekar said.
Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh asked the Government to take a “firm stand” on the issue.”He (Jaswal) was going on a function which was not private. I think the government of India has to take a very firm and completely unambiguous stand on the issue,” he said.