Doklam: Govt briefs opposition on easing of stand-off, Chinese have left with bulldozers, confirms official

The government on Monday briefed the opposition leaders on the easing of Doklam border stand-off with China with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj speaking to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders.

The Congress, on its part, welcomed and supported the understanding between India and China to de-escalate the border tension at Doklam in the Sikkim sector. Sources said Swaraj called up Singh and Gandhi, besides Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and deputy leader Anand Sharma. Sources said Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar also called up Sharma separately and informed him about the current status and the easing of border tensions at Doklam.

Sharma confirmed that the government has briefed Congress leaders about the Doklam stand-off ahead of the BRICS summit. "This understanding that has been reached is a positive development which we support," Sharma said. Asked about the development at the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said this is a matter of national security but one should not go into a rejoicing mode. "There would be nobody happier than my party, than me, if what has just been stated by you, is not the momentary truth but the stable longer term or at least medium truth.

"However, just like we should not go into panic mode as soon as something happens, we should not go into rejoicing mode the moment it is received," he said. "I can only join you with the entire nation in hoping that this information which is coming is at least medium, if not long term true, stable and comprehensive and that unfortunately other conflicting information coming is untrue," he added. He said both countries should engage to find a permanent solution in the light of the 2012 agreement between India- Bhutan and China about the location of the trilateral junction.

"There must be an agreement to maintain the status quo until a resolution which is acceptable to all," he said. Sharma, who is a former minister, said it is important that both the countries being strategic partners, neighbours and large developing countries work with sincerity guided by the principles and parameters of 2005 agreement between the two prime ministers on the border issues. Swaraj is also learnt to have talked to other opposition leaders, informing them about the development. CPI leader D Raja welcomed India and China agreeing to "expeditious disengagement" of troops, saying the move "is in the interest of the two countries".

India and China have almost completed the disengagement of border personnel at Doklam, in a major diplomatic breakthrough that came a week before the BRICS summit in China which is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Chinese have left with bulldozers: Officials 

As part of the disengagement, the Chinese troops have left the dispute area of Doklam along with bulldozers and removed the tents which they had pitched, according to a top Indian government official. The official, on the condition of anonymity, said there were about 1700-1800 Chinese troops in the area where they proposed to build a road and all of them have left. The Indian troops, whose number was in a "few hundreds", have also moved out of the stand-off area, the official told PTI tonight, adding it is a "demilitarised" area now.

The stand-off had begun in June when the Indian troops objected to the Chinese building the road there. "The bulldozers have been taken away, tents have been removed and even a flag which they (Chinese) had hoisted there has been removed," the official said. Earlier, in the morning, the External Affairs Ministry said "expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site in Doklam has been agreed to and is on-going."

Later, in the evening, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said the process of disengagement had almost been completed under verification, reflecting an end to the nearly two-and-half-month long stand-off. "This process has since been almost completed under verification," Kumar said, referring to the disengagement. An official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the process of resolving the matter started after a brief interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hamburg in July.

Subsequently, the Special Representatives of the two countries -- National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and China's State Councillor Yang Jiechi -- were in touch, the official said. The breakthrough came just days ahead of the BRICS Summit to be held in Chinese city of Xiamen from September 3-5, which Modi is expected to attend.