By NNN-PTI
New Delhi : Ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to China, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said Chinese incursions have taken place “sometimes” across the Line of Actual Control but felt there was no need to press any “panic button”.
“There is nothing to be worried of at this point of time and the mechanisms which we have are doing well,” Mukherjee told Karan Thapar on ‘Devil’s Advocate’ programme of CNN-IBN.
“Sometimes incursions take place. We immediately take it up. Mechanisms have been established through which we address these type of problems,” he said.
Asked whether the frequency or the number of incursions have increased, he said “it is not unusual (but) it has not suddenly increased.”
The Prime Minister, who leaves for Beijing Saturday night on a three-day visit, will hold wide-ranging talks with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao and will also call on President Hu Jintao.
Questioned about concerns expressed by senior Indian army generals on the development of infrastructure on the Chinese side of the Sino-India border in Arunachal Pradesh, Mukherjee said it was a “known fact” that their infrastructure in terms of road, electricity and availability of other facilities “is much superior to that on our side.”
Mukherjee, a former Defence Minister, made it clear that there was no question of India letting down its vigilance.
“But at the same time, the situation that is prevailing right now on the border and along the LAC, there is no need of pressing any panic button. Peace and tranquility are being retained there.”