PLA villages in Bhutan blow to India's security, says Congress

The Chinese army grabbing 100 sqkm of Bhutan and setting up four new villages next to Dokalam, as per latest satellite images, was a blow to India's national security, the Congress said. The opposition party charged the Centre with 'compromising national security' by letting the PLA indulge in incursions despite India traditionally being Bhutan's adviser on external relations and and training its army.

"These new villages lie near the Dokalam plateau, where India and China had a faceoff in 2017, after which China bypassed Indian defences to resume road construction activity in the region. The new construction on Bhutanese soil is particularly worrying since India has historically advised Bhutan on its external relations policy and continues to train its armed forces," AICC spokesman Gourav Vallabh said at the party's official briefing on Thursday.