Sena (UBT) presses Centre on border security after ITBP chief's remarks on Arunachal face-offs

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has questioned the Union government over border security. The trigger is a recent statement by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor, who said that face-offs between Indian and Chinese soldiers were taking place in Arunachal Pradesh and were still continuing.

An editorial was published on Monday in the party's mouthpiece, Saamana. In it, the party led by Uddhav Thackeray accused the BJP-led government of hiding information about the situation on the border and of failing to fix accountability in matters of national security.

Kapoor said recently that Indian and Chinese forces had come face to face at several places on the Arunachal Pradesh border and that this was continuing. He also praised the role of the ITBP's newly formed Shaurya commando teams during these face-offs.

The editorial claims that Chinese soldiers entered Indian territory in the Asaphila area, advanced six to seven kilometres and set up camps there. However, Kapoor's public statement has not separately confirmed this distance or everything stated in the editorial.

The matter drew more attention when it was reported that the video of Kapoor's speech had been removed from the ITBP's official online channels. No confirmed reason for the removal has emerged so far.

The editorial alleges that the government brushed aside earlier warnings about Chinese activity. It refers to earlier statements by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on alleged Chinese intrusion in Arunachal, and also lists statements by local tribal communities and by young people who spoke out on social media.

The editorial said: "Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi had warned a year ago that China was intruding into Arunachal Pradesh, but top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh called his statements false propaganda and blamed him instead. Tribal communities in remote parts of Arunachal Pradesh and young people who posted social media reels on the Chinese intrusion were silenced in the same way, and the government declared their words enemy propaganda."

The party also referred to the memoir Four Stars of Destiny by former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane. The book has not yet been published because of the required review and clearance process. The editorial cited passages relating to the military confrontation in eastern Ladakh on 31 August 2020, when Naravane allegedly sought instructions for action amid Chinese troop movements. It alleges that this account raises questions about how decisions were taken during the crisis.

The editorial compared these alleged border face-offs with Prime Minister Modi's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the BRICS summit held in New Delhi in September. It also cited the campaign of environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, who had raised concerns about Chinese activity in Ladakh. It alleges that critics faced political attacks.

The party questioned the government's response on the Pulwama attack, the Pahalgam attack and the latest situation on the border. It says greater transparency and political accountability are needed on national security concerns.