The NDA government has decided to maintain “status quo” at the disputed pockets along the China border, which witnessed several face-offs and incursions in the last six months, sources said. This was decided at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, which was also attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Army Chief Dalbir Singh and Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh. Coordination between Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was also discussed at the meeting. This was the first big meeting after the government named NSA Ajit Doval — who also attended the meeting — as a special envoy on China. When it was in Opposition, BJP had strongly opposed the then UPA government’s policies to maintain “status quo” along the disputed border. In September this year the Peoples Liberation Army of China had entered almost two kilometres inside the Indian territory and the stand-off continued for more than 15 days.
