'This Is Not 1962': Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Warns China, Reiterates Entire PoK Belongs To India

Leh: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta on Tuesday outrightly rejected China's claim over the Shaksgam Valley, stating that the entire region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to India. He also made it clear that any expansionist attempts would not be tolerated. 

What did the Ladakh Lieutenant Governor say?

Criticizing China for starting construction projects in the Shaksgam Valley, Gupta said that the area is part of India and such activities should be stopped immediately. Following India's objections, China on Monday reiterated its territorial claims over the Shaksgam Valley, insisting that the Chinese infrastructure projects in the region are ‘beyond doubt’.

Gupta said that the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir also want to be a part of India and that Pakistan will soon 'disintegrate itself'.

 Speaking to reporters in Jammu, he said, “The whole of Kashmir (including the Pakistan-occupied part) is ours. We don't know what deal Pakistan has struck with China. China should understand that nothing will be gained from its expansionist policy. India is capable. This is not the India of 1962, this is the India of 2026. Any such attempt will be thwarted. The Ministry of External Affairs is taking cognizance of this.”

What was Gupta’s warning for China?

Gupta said that any such act would not be tolerated and China must understand that India is far stronger today than before. He also mentioned that China had previously claimed parts of Arunachal Pradesh as well. Targeting Pakistan, the Governor alleged that the neighboring country has deceived its own people and is engaged in suspicious activities. 

What is his stance on Pakistan?

“Pakistan is a country that is being sold off. It has no regard for its sovereignty or its people. Voices are being raised in Balochistan, Sindh, and Karachi, and atrocities are being committed there by the Pakistani army. Those areas are virtually under military rule,” Gupta said.

Warning against provocative statements on sensitive issues, Gupta said that Parliament has a clear stance on PoK.

“Statements that are provocative in nature should not be made. There is a parliamentary resolution from 1994 that clearly states that the entire PoK belongs to India,” he asserted.

What is opinion of the statement of the Indian Army chief?

Reacting to the Indian Army chief's recent statement in which he said that ‘Operation Sindoor’ is ongoing, Gupta said that the armed forces have complete national support. 

“The entire country stands with the army. The Army Chief has given a responsible statement, and I welcome it,” he said. 

In 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 square kilometers of Indian territory located in the Shaksgam Valley to China, which it had acquired through illegal occupation.