China’s Claim Over Shaksgam Valley Rejected; PoK Belongs to India, Says Ladakh LG
“India is capable. This is not the India of 1962; this is the India of 2026. Any such attempt will be defeated. The Ministry of External Affairs is taking note of this,” said Kavinder Gupta.
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta on Tuesday firmly rejected China’s claim over the Shaksgam Valley, stating that the entire region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to India. He added that any expansionist attempt would not be tolerated.
After India raised strong objections, China on Monday reiterated its territorial claims over the Shaksgam Valley and insisted that its infrastructure projects in the region are “flawless.”
Speaking to journalists in Jammu, Gupta said, “The entire Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is ours. We do not know what kind of deal Pakistan has made with China. China must understand that it will gain nothing from its expansionist policies. 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 cognisance of the matter.”
Gupta stressed that such actions would not be tolerated and that China must realise India is far stronger today than it was in the past. He also pointed out that China has earlier laid claims over parts of Arunachal Pradesh as well.
Taking aim at Pakistan, the Lieutenant Governor accused the neighbouring country of betraying its own people and engaging in questionable deals. “Pakistan is a country that is ready to sell itself. It has no concern for its sovereignty or its people. Voices are rising in Balochistan, Sindh and Karachi, where the Pakistani army is committing atrocities. In reality, the army is running those regions,” he said.
Warning against inflammatory statements on sensitive issues, Gupta said Parliament’s stand on PoK is very clear. “Such provocative statements should not be made. There is a parliamentary resolution passed in 1994 which clearly states that the entire PoK is part of India,” he added.
Responding to Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi’s statement that Operation Sindoor is ongoing, Gupta said the armed forces enjoy complete national support. “The entire country stands with the army. The Army Chief has made a responsible statement, and I welcome it,” he said. Addressing claims by some regional leaders in Jammu and Kashmir about unrest in Ladakh, the Lieutenant Governor outrightly rejected these allegations. “Ladakh is moving rapidly on the path of development. The people of Ladakh are united, deeply nationalist, and fully support the government in all development works,” he said.
He also highlighted the significant increase in budgetary allocation for the region. “I want to tell those leaders to focus on their own work. This is not the Ladakh that once had a budget of ₹150 crore. Today, Ladakh’s budget is close to ₹6,000 crore,” Gupta added.
Last Friday, India criticised China’s infrastructure development projects in the Shaksgam Valley, reiterating that the region is Indian territory and that India reserves the right to take all necessary steps to protect its interests.
In 1963, Pakistan illegally handed over 5,180 square kilometers of Indian territory in the Shaksgam Valley to China—land that Pakistan itself had occupied unlawfully.
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