New Delhi: China has removed an old bunker of the Indian Army located at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan in Sikkim by using a bulldozer after the Indian side refused to accede to its request. This was after the Indian side did not agree to a request by the Chinese authorities to dismantle it, sources have told agencies.

China had objected to India building new bunkers and upgrading older ones along the border in Sikkim in the recent past to shore up its defences.

With the defence ministry, the home ministry and the external affairs ministry maintaining a deafening silence on the latest stand-off the Doka La general area in the Sikkim section of the Indo-China border, it is the Chinese narrative that is acquiring prime media space. While the standoff first took place on June 17, no official Indian government reaction has been forthcoming since then.

Indian officials have been offering a terse “no comment” while Chinese state-owned media “criticised the Indian side for violating the consensus on border issues and agreements between the two governments, seriously endangering peace along the border areas”.

The Global Times ran a story: ‘Indian troops’ provocation brings disgrace to themselves’.

Both the Indian Army and the ITBP guard the Sikkim stretch of the border, with the latter coming under the home ministry.