Torchbearer row: Indian envoy won't attend opening and closing ceremony of Beijing Olympics, says MEA

A day after Chinese State media reported that a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) commander involved in the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash with Indian Army troops was made torchbearer at the Beijing Winter Olympics , the Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian Envoy would not be attending the opening or closing ceremony of the event.

Regrettable that China has chosen to politicise the Olympics. The Indian envoy will not attend the opening or closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics: MEA on reports of China making Galwan soldier torchbearer pic.twitter.com/AdtDVk3aSv

— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2022

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said it was regrettable that China has chosen to politicise the Olympics. Reacting to the MEA announcement, Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati tweeted that DD Sports would not telecast live the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics being held in Beijing.

Consequent to the announcement by @meaindia, @ddsportschannel will not telecast live the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics being held in Beijing. https://t.co/sSP1EX9pSQ

— Shashi Shekhar Vempati शशि शेखर (@shashidigital) February 3, 2022

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These developments come hours after a top US lawmaker from the powerful US Senate Foreign Relations Committee condemned China’s decision to make the commander a torchbearer at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Torch Relay. “It’s shameful that Beijing chose a torchbearer for the Olympics 2022 who’s part of the military command that attacked India in 2020 and is implementing genocide against the Uyghurs. The US will continue to support Uyghur freedoms and the sovereignty of India,” tweeted Jim Risch, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member.

It's shameful that #Beijing chose a torchbearer for the #Olympics2022 who's part of the military command that attacked #India in 2020 and is implementing #genocide against the #Uyghurs. The U.S. will cont. to support #Uyghur freedoms & the sovereignty of India.

— Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman (@SenateForeign) February 3, 2022

  The eastern Ladakh border standoff between India and China erupted in April-May, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas. As many as 20  Indian soldiers and around 45 Chinese troops (unofficial toll) were killed. China, however, had officially put the PLA toll at five. The standoff had become one of the fiercest border clashes between the two armies since the 1962 war.

As per ANI, a report in an Australian investigative newspaper has revealed that China is hiding its losses in the Galwan Valley clash with India. The new research has shown that the PLA lost at least nine times more soldiers than its official count of four.

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At least 38 PLA troops drowned while crossing a fast-flowing, sub-zero river in darkness, according to an article in the ‘The Klaxon’ which cited a report prepared by a group of social media researchers after a year-long investigation.

Of the four soldiers China has confirmed died, only one– Junior Sergeant Wang Zhuoran– is reported as having drowned, the investigative newspaper said.

The report cited “several Weibo users” and said, “at least 38 PLA troops along with Wang were washed away and drowned that night…of which only Wang was declared among the four officially dead soldiers.”

The report cited a year-long investigation involving discussions with mainland Chinese bloggers, information obtained from mainland-based Chinese citizens and media reports that have since been deleted by Chinese authorities, ANI said.

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