ew Delhi, Jul 7 (IANS): Congress leader and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, reacting to the disengagement at the LAC, cautioned the government that the May-June status cannot become the "new normal."

He emphasised that status quo ante should be restored at the LAC.

"Disengagement" is welcome, but means little unless the status quo ante is restored, said Tharoor.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP said that "Otherwise we'll yet again see both sides declare peace, with China having changed the "facts" on the ground and moved the LAC closer to where it wants."

"The May-June status cannot become the "new normal," added Tharoor.

Taking to Twitter, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had asked when national interest is paramount then "why has status quo ante not been insisted on?"

He also raised questions on why was China allowed to "justify" the murder of 20 unarmed Indian soldiers in our territory? Why is there no mention of the territorial sovereignty of Galwan valley?

The Congress has been targeting the government on the Chinese incursions in the Galwan Valley for quite some time.

Indian and Chinese troops on Monday retreated two kilometres each along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley, where 20 Indians and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers were killed in a violent face-off last month.

The disengagement between India and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) happened as per the agreed terms in the Corps Commander's meeting.

With the retreat from both sides, a four kilometre no-man's land has been created. "Four kilometres in the highly mountainous terrain like Galwan valley, deprives both sides from seeing each other's installations and reinforcements," sources said.

--IANS

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