China building Pangong bridge in area occupied since 1962: Govt

NEW DELHI: The government on Friday reiterated in Parliament that the bridge China is constructing on Pangong Lake is located in areas that have continued to be under China’s illegal occupation since 1962 and that India has never accepted this illegal occupation.
Replying to a written question in Lok Sabha, junior minister for external affairs V Muraleedharan also said India’s approach to the eastern Ladakh LAC disengagement talks will continue to be guided by three key principles – both sides strictly respect and observe the LAC, neither side attempts to alter the status quo unilaterally and that both fully abide by all bilateral agreements in their entirety.The government has made it clear on several occasions that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India and we expect other countries to respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the minister, responding to a query on China’s bridge construction.