Arunachal clash: At least 20 Indian soldiers wounded, BJP MP tells ‘The Telegraph’
Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the state’s Tawang sector on December 9, the Union government said on Monday.

At least 20 Indian soldiers were wounded and six of them were “severely injured” in the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang along the Line of Actual Control last week, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tapir Gao has told The Telegraph, the United Kingdom-based daily reported on Tuesday.
The comments made by Gao, the BJP MP from the Arunachal East constituency, differ from the Union defence ministry’s version which said that few soldiers from both sides sustained “minor injuries” in the clash on December 9.
Gao also told The Telegraph that the six soldiers who were severely wounded have been flown to Guwahati in Assam.
The BJP's President of Arunachal Pradesh, Tapir Gao, exclusively tells @Telegraph at least 20 Indian soldiers wounded by unarmed Chinese troops in hand-to-hand combat
— Joe Wallen (@joerwallen) December 12, 2022
Mr Gao says six Indian soldiers severely injured - flown to Guwahati. With @Samaanlateef.
Full report soon
On Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated in Parliament that a few soldiers on both sides were injured.
“I would like to tell this House that none of our soldiers died or suffered any serious injury,” Singh said in a statement in the Lok Sabha. “Due to the timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA [People’s Liberation Army] soldiers have retreated to their own locations.”
The defence minister held China responsible for trying to “unilaterally change the status quo” along the Line of Actual Control. He added that on December 11, the local Indian Army commander of Yangtse area in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang held a flag meeting with his Chinese counterpart.
Last Friday, Chinese troops attempted to unilaterally change the status quo by encroaching on the Line of Actual Control, in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector: Defence Minister @rajnathsingh in #LokSabha pic.twitter.com/J6eZOuTAFY
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) December 13, 2022
The defence minister’s statement came after the Opposition parties on Monday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of trying to cover up the clashes.
“For the last two years, we have been repeatedly trying to wake up the government, but the Modi government is trying to suppress the matter only to save its political image,” Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted. “Due to this, China’s audacity is increasing.”
Ramesh also accused Modi of putting the country in danger to save his image.
“In an attempt to make the intrusion in northern Ladakh permanent, China built 200 permanent shelters within 15-18 km of the LAC in Depsang, but the government remained silent,” he alleged. “Now this new worrying issue has come to the fore.”
देश से बड़ा कोई नहीं है, लेकिन मोदी जी अपनी छवि को बचाने के लिए देश को ख़तरे में डाल रहे हैं।
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 12, 2022
उत्तरी लद्दाख़ में घुसपैठ स्थायी करने की कोशिश में चीन ने डेपसांग में LAC की सीमा में 15-18 km अंदर 200 स्थायी शेल्टर बना दिए, पर सरकार चुप रही।अब यह नया चिंताजनक मामला सामने आया है। https://t.co/RgzMZLQlJw
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the details of the ministry’s version seemed sketchy and sought clarification.
“What was the cause of the clash?” he asked in a series of tweets. “Were shots fired or was it like Galwan? How many soldiers have been injured? What is their condition?”
Praising the Indian Army, Owaisi claimed that it was “weak political leadership under Modi which has led to this humiliation against China”.
Owaisi also said that he has submitted a notice for adjournment in the Lok Sabha to discuss the clash.
The army is capable of giving a fitting reply to the Chinese at any time. It is the weak political leadership under Modi which has led to this humiliation against China. This needs an urgent discussion in Parliament.I will be giving an Adjournment motion tomorrow on this issue.
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) December 12, 2022
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera tweeted: “If the attack is on the map and the counter-attack is on the app, then what should happen is happening now: China has now cast its evil eye on Arunachal. Will the prime minister again give a clean chit to China to save his image?”
Khera was referring to India’s decision to block 59 mobile applications that had Chinese links following the Galwan clash.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy demanded that if China is not blackmailing the Modi government, then India should shut down all Chinese companies and inform Indians in China to return.
चीनी राष्ट्रपति को झुक कर सलाम करने में और लाल आँख दिखाने में अंतर होता है।
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) December 12, 2022
हमला मैप पर हो और जवाबी हमला एप्प पर किया जाये तो वही होता है जो अब हो रहा है: चीन ने अब अरुणाचल पर अपनी बुरी नज़र डाली है।
क्या प्रधान मंत्री अपनी छवि बचाने के लिए फिर से चीन को क्लीन चिट दे देंगे? https://t.co/gxZu6l2wve
If Modi Govt not blackmailed by China then shut down all Chinese companies in India and inform Indians in China to return.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) December 13, 2022
In its statement on Monday, the defence ministry had said that in certain areas along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang, there are some “areas of differing perception”, in which the troops of both countries patrol up to their claim lines.
“This has been the trend since 2006,” the ministry added.
An unidentified defence official had on Monday told The Hindu that injuries on the Chinese side were “much higher” than among the Indian troops. Indian officials also said that the Chinese Army had come “heavily prepared with around 300 soldiers”, but that they did not expect the Indian forces to be well-prepared.
This was the first such incident since the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh in June 2020.
Several other Opposition leaders also tweeted about the clashes in Tawang and the significance of the development.
I’ve long argued that China has designs on Tawang, since they want to pre-empt the possibility of a future DalaiLama being identified at the birthplace of the 6thDL. Proud of our soldiers for standing up to the PLA: https://t.co/hntnFyTvww
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 12, 2022
#China established a new division level headquarters equipped to support their weapons & air defence along #Pangong Lake 👇 #Modi ji, at-least now understand the severity 🙏 pic.twitter.com/qfnwUv8Clo
— YSR (@ysathishreddy) December 12, 2022
Nothing to see here.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) December 12, 2022
Just another day of China being a land grabber and Indian government busy with its chunavi agenda:
A) Laal aankh
B) Anti National Tags to all who raise this concern
C) Moonh Tod Jawaab Milega https://t.co/3yZKfcNqRx