Arunachal face-offs 'still continuing', ITBP chief says; Congress asks PM Modi to explain

A political row erupted on Friday after Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) chief Shatrujeet Kapur said face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops had occurred at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh and were still continuing, prompting Congress to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the situation along the Line of Actual Control.

What did the ITBP Chief say?

The ITBP director general made the remarks at a felicitation ceremony in Alwar, Rajasthan, on Thursday, saying the force's Shaurya commando teams had handled the confrontations "exceedingly well".

Kapur said that in recent days there had been a situation in Arunachal Pradesh where face-offs took place at different locations and that the situation was still continuing.

He praised the recently formed Shaurya commando teams for their work along the frontier, saying they had dealt with the confrontations effectively.

Although Kapur did not name China in that part of his speech, the ITBP guards stretches of the Line of Actual Control, the disputed boundary between India and China. 

Video of the speech circulated on social media. According to reports, the ITBP posted footage of the remarks on Thursday night before deleting it. The force had not publicly explained why the video was removed.

Congress Seeks Answers From Government

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticised the Centre after Kapur's comments became public. In a post on X, he accused PM Modi and his government of maintaining a "deafening silence" over the Arunachal incidents while making concessions to Beijing.

While the self-styled Vishwaguru’s calibrated concessions to China continue, the DG, ITBP, has lauded—and rightly so—its performance in recent face-offs with the PLA in Arunachal Pradesh, on which there has been a deafening silence from the PM and his establishment. Corps commander talks were held at Wacha and Damai in Arunachal Pradesh last month after the Taksing face-off. Locals had reported that patrolling points had been lost once again, as in Ladakh. China continues to rename our towns in Arunachal Pradesh and is building a 60,000-MW dam that threatens our ecological and water security. India’s trade deficit with China zoomed even further to a record $112 billion in 2025–26, up from $99 billion the previous year. This has simply crushed our MSMEs in many industries. Make in India has become Import from China. This staggering trade deficit is in itself a very significant threat to our economic security. India has been paying the price for the PM’s infamous clean chit to China on June 19, 2020, when he said, after 20 of our brave jawans had been martyred: “ना कोई वहाँ हमारी सीमा में घुस आया है और न ही कोई घुसा हुआ है, न ही हमारी कोई पोस्ट किसी दूसरे के कब्ज़े में है।” The retired Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Naravane, has revealed that the only instructions he received while at the helm, when Chinese incursions took place in Ladakh, were: “जो उचित समझो वो करो।” On July 4, 2025, the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh, had spoken publicly on China’s both intensively and extensively embedded role in Pakistan’s military campaign during our Operation Sindoor. Yet, on August 25, 2026, the retired Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Anil Chauhan, publicly contradicted Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh’s revelations and, soon thereafter, took over a think tank that is a key part of the RSS/BJP ecosystem.

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 23, 2026

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also demanded answers from PM Modi, calling the developments "deeply alarming". He asked whether Indian patrols had lost access to any areas and why the government had not given a fuller account of the situation along the border.

Why Is the Arunachal border under scrutiny?

The remarks come amid reports of a standoff involving Indian and Chinese personnel near Taksing in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district since July.

India and China held Corps Commander-level talks at the Wacha-Damai border meeting point on September 6 after discussions between local military officers. Indian troops have continued to be deployed in the area to prevent any escalation, according to reports.

In August, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said peace along the border was essential and that developments there would affect the wider relationship between India and China. He said both countries were using established channels to manage their differences.

The tension persists despite efforts to improve ties. Prime Minister Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in New Delhi on September 12 during the BRICS summit. An official Indian statement said the two leaders agreed that peace in border areas was essential for the development of bilateral relations.

ITBP Plans Stronger Border Security

At the Alwar event, Kapur also spoke about plans to expand the Shaurya units and strengthen border infrastructure.

He said the force would invest in drones, anti-drone systems and protected border facilities to improve security along the frontier.

Kapur also advised personnel to be cautious on social media, avoid sharing information with strangers and remain alert to online attempts to trap them. He further urged them to avoid alcohol.