India’s top diplomat in Beijing will be boycotting the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics slated to begin from February 4 in the Chinese capital. 

The move comes a day after China decided to honour the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Galwan commander, who fought against the Indian military in 2020, as the Olympics torchbearer. 

“We have seen the reports on this issue. It is indeed regrettable that the Chinese side has chosen to politicise an event like the Olympics. I wish to inform that our Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of India in Beijing will not be attending the opening or the closing ceremony of the Beijing ’22 Winter Olympics,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said today at a media briefing.

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The eastern Ladakh border row escalated after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15, 2020, which led to the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers. 

In February last year, China officially acknowledged that five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed in the clashes with the Indian Army though it is widely believed that the death toll was higher, according to a PTI report.

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Meanwhile, only one Indian athlete will be present at the games this year. Several countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, have boycotted the games over concerns about China’s alleged human rights abuses against Muslim minorities, according to reports.

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Despite a rise in daily COVID cases among athletes and boycotts from certain countries, President Xi Jinping said while speaking at an International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday, “We will do our best to deliver to the world a streamlined, safe and splendid Games.”