Rahul Gandhi, a key leader of India's main opposition party Congress, on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of jeopardising national security and termed the recent talks with China "wasteful".
Gandhi was referring to the Chinese "occupation" of Gogra Hot Springs and Depsang Plains, the two points of friction between Delhi and Beijing along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
These statements come shortly after the Indian weekly Sunday Express reported, citing Indian negotiatiors, that China had refused to pull its troops from Hot Springs and Gogra. The outlet suggested that the Chinese side had initially agreed to withdraw its army from these two areas, but backtracked on its commitment later.
Tensions between India and China flared up last year in the Ladakh region, with troops later engaging in a violent altercation that left 20 Indian and 4 Chinese soldiers dead. Almost a year later, attempts are still on to resolve the differences. After several rounds of military and diplomatic level talks, both armies withdrew troops from the north and south banks of Pangong Tso in February of this year.
India has stressed the need to resolve the situation around the two remaining friction points of Gogra Hot Springs and Depsang Plains in order to maintain cordial relations between the countries.