After two days, document confirming Chinese invasion disappears from Defence Ministry website

China intruded into Indian territory in eastern Ladakh in early May- the Defence Ministry acknowledged it in a document which was there on the news section of its website since Tuesday i.e August 4, 2020. The page has now disappeared just two days after it was put up on the Ministry of Defence website, a report in NDTV said.

"Chinese aggression has been increasing along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and more particularly in Galwan valley since May 5, 2020. The Chinese side has transgressed in the areas of Kungrang Nala, Gogra and north bank of Pangong Tso Lake on May 17-18," the document on the Defence Ministry site read under the title "Chinese Aggression on LAC", in the "What's New" section on its website.

According to the document, ground level interactions were held between the armed forces of both sides to defuse the situation. A Corps commanders' flag meeting was held on June 6. However, a violent face-off incident took place between the two sides on June 15, resulting in casualties on both sides.

A screen shot of the document was shared widely on social media which can be seen here:

According to this document, a second corps commander level meeting took place on June 22 to discuss the modalities of de-escalation. "While engagement and dialogue at military and diplomatic level is continuing to arrive at mutually acceptable consensus, the present standoff is likely to be prolonged," stated the document.

"The situation in Eastern Ladakh arising from unilateral aggression by China continues to be sensitive and requiring close monitoring and prompt action based on the evolving situation," it added.

The document vanished from the website on Thursday. And when the link for the document is clicked, the information says "the specified URL cannot be found”.

NDTV quoted a Defence Ministry spokesperson who said the document "did not go through me”.

Tension near LAC began escalating in May and led to an ugly conflict between Indian and Cinese soldiers on June 15, 2020. 20 Indian Army personnel died during the Clash in Galwan Valley.

The clashes took place because of Chinese attempts to erect structures "just across the LAC" and that Indian soldiers were being stopped from patrolling, the Foreign Ministry said after June 15 incident.

But after the clashes Prime Minister Narendra Modi said concluding an all-party meeting summoned in June that “neither has anyone intruded into our territory nor has any post taken over by them. Today, we possess the capability that no one can eye even one inch of our land. India’s armed forces have the capability to move into multiple sectors at one go... Whether it is deployment, action, counter-action…air, land or sea, whatever our armed forces have to do to protect our country they will do.”

Later, the PM office clarified that what PM Modi meant to say was that there was no Chinese presence on our side of the LAC “as a consequence of the bravery of our armed forces."

India and China have had multiple rounds of talks over de-escalation after the Galwan Valley clash.

The diplomatic efforts have been going on since then from both sides to resolve the situation.