The Ministry of Defence on Friday said that India has not conceded any territory and has enforced respect for LAC, preventing any unilateral change in the status quo, reported PTI. The comments came hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of handing over Indian territory to China in a recently-signed pact for disengagement on the north and south banks of Pangong Tso in east Ladakh.

In a statement, the MoD said, “Not conceded any territory, on the contrary, has enforced respect for LAC, prevented any unilateral change in the status quo.” It added, “Permanent posts of both sides at north bank of Pangong Tso are longstanding and well-established.”

This comes after Rahul Gandhi alleged that PM Modi has “handed over India’s land to China.”

Gandhi said, “The Government had been talking about status quo ante to April 2020 but in this pact, Indian troops have been moved to Finger 3 while Finger 4 was our territory. Why have the troops been moved back…what has India gained… The Prime Minister has handed over our land to China.”

According to the MoD, India has not conceded any of its territory to China in the recently signed agreement.

It said, “India has persistently maintained right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in current understanding with China. Even the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. India has not conceded any territory as a result of agreement with China.”

It added, “Assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 in Pangong Tso area is categorically false.”