India accuses Chinese patrol deviations of disrupting border, as face-offs continue in Arunachal Pradesh

Opposition Congress party criticises Modi government for ‘silence’ on border tensions

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published24 October 2026

Read Time2 min

India’s Foreign Ministry has said Chinese forces deviating from established patrolling patterns are periodically disrupting the situation along the India-China border, even as both sides continue to use diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues. The statement comes a day after India’s China border police chief said face-offs between troops are continuing at multiple locations in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, underscoring the fragility of the peace process.

India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on Friday that the border situation is periodically disrupted when Chinese forces depart from established patrolling patterns. “Both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC),” Jaiswal said. He added that the two countries have agreed to discuss ways to improve their understanding of the LAC in certain areas to strengthen border management. “I would also like to emphasize that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations,” he said.

The remarks follow a statement on Thursday by India’s China border police chief, Shatrujeet Singh Kapur, who said face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops are continuing at multiple locations along the border in Arunachal Pradesh, despite ongoing talks between the two countries, according to Indian media reports. The face-offs highlight the challenges of maintaining peace even as several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have been held this year.

The issue has drawn criticism from the opposition Congress party. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh posted on social media platform X, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government of remaining “silent on this grave issue.” Ramesh wrote: “The nation is asking: Amid ongoing tensions on the border, what kind of nationalism is this softness toward China and the growing economic dependence?”

The border dispute, which flared into a deadly clash in 2020, remains one of the most sensitive issues in bilateral relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. China has not commented publicly on the latest Indian statements.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The India-China border is one of the world’s most militarised flashpoints; any escalation could draw in the entire region, including the United States and other Indo-Pacific partners.
The ongoing face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh, even amid diplomatic talks, suggest that tactical disagreements at the ground level continue to undermine broader efforts to de-escalate.
Domestic political criticism, particularly from the opposition, puts pressure on the Modi government to take a tougher stance, potentially narrowing the space for compromise.

Background

India and China share a roughly 3,500-kilometre disputed border, much of it defined by the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Tensions spiked sharply in June 2020 when a clash in the Galwan Valley left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead, along with an unconfirmed number of Chinese casualties. Since then, both sides have held multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks, leading to some disengagement in certain sectors. However, friction has persisted in other areas, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as part of southern Tibet. The current flare-up underscores that the broader border dispute remains unresolved.

Key Perspectives

Indian Foreign Ministry (spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal): Says the border situation is periodically disrupted by Chinese forces deviating from patrolling patterns, and both sides continue to use diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues. He stressed that maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas is essential for overall bilateral relations. Opposition Congress Party (senior leader Jairam Ramesh): Criticised Prime Minister Modi and the government for remaining “silent on this grave issue,” questioning what he called “softness toward China and the growing economic dependence.”

What to Watch

Whether any further rounds of military-level talks are announced between Indian and Chinese commanders in the coming weeks.
Any official Chinese reaction to India’s accusation of patrolling deviations, which would signal whether Beijing is willing to re-engage on the issue.
How the Indian government responds to domestic political pressure, which could influence its negotiation posture at the next meeting.

Sources

India news: India-China border tensions back in focus despite ongoing talks · DW English

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe headline says India accuses Chinese patrol deviations of disrupting the border situation.DW English: “Indian Foreign Ministry blamed Chinese patrolling deviations for border disruptions”
SupportedThe headline says face-offs between troops continue in Arunachal Pradesh.DW English: “face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops are continuing at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh”
SupportedThe summary says Congress criticised the Modi government for its silence on border tensions.DW English: “The issue was also taken up by the opposition Congress party with Member of Parliament and senior party leader Jairam Ramesh criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and and the government for "remain silent on this grave issue."”
SupportedIndia’s Foreign Ministry said Chinese forces deviating from established patrolling patterns periodically disrupt the border situation.DW English: “India's Foreign Ministry said on Friday the situation along the India-China border was periodically disrupted when Chinese forces deviated from established patrolling patterns.”
SupportedJaiswal said both sides continue using diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations.DW English: “"Both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)," the ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said while addressing the media.”
SupportedJaiswal said maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for bilateral relations to develop overall.DW English: “"I would also like to emphasize that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations," Jaiswal said.”
SupportedIndia’s China border police chief Shatrujeet Singh Kapur said face-offs continue at multiple locations along the Arunachal Pradesh border despite ongoing talks.DW English: “India's China border police chief, Shatrujeet Singh Kapur, said on Thursday that face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops are continuing at multiple locations along the border in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, despite ongoing talks between the two countries , according to Indian media.”
SupportedJairam Ramesh said: “The nation is asking: Amid ongoing tensions on the border, what kind of nationalism is this softness toward China and the growing economic dependence?”DW English: “"The nation is asking: Amid ongoing tensions on the border, what kind of nationalism is this softness toward China and the growing economic dependence?" Ramesh posted on X.”
SupportedJairam Ramesh accused Modi and the government of being “silent on this grave issue.”DW English: “The issue was also taken up by the opposition Congress party with Member of Parliament and senior party leader Jairam Ramesh criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and and the government for "remain silent on this grave issue."”
Partly supportedThe face-offs underscore the fragility of the peace process.DW English: “The face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh underscore the challenges of maintaining peace along the border even as the two countries have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks this year.”
Not in the sourcesThe border dispute flared into a deadly clash in 2020.
Not in the sourcesChina has not commented publicly on the latest Indian statements.