New Delhi: Indo-Tibetan Border Police director general Shatrujeet Kapur’s public confirmation on the Indian army being locked in standoffs at more than one location along the Arunachal Pradesh frontier – presumably with Chinese forces – has put the Union government on the back foot.While this is the first official word on how the friction has escalated, the government has so far rejected this claim, although local media reports have been highlighting the situation for months now.A video report by The Arunachal Times’ journalist Bengia Ajum shows panchayat leader Prakash Hari speaking from Taksing, a village in the Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, on how accepted the idea of Chinese incursions is.The video was published a month ago, in September 2026. In it, Hari says that conversation had been on for “a long time” on Chinese incursions into Arunachal.“In the last one or two months, you have found out about this, there was a press briefing, and the media has taken note,” he says.“We have spoken multiple times about this with the administration and army. We have spoken many times but things have not moved forward,” Hari says in Hindi.Multiple people the interview focuses on say that the Chinese have a presence near the Potrang Lake. Hari says that grazing sites near the Shera 5 strategic pass has seen Chinese army movement, indicating how normal life is affected there.These accounts from the ground, coupled with the ITBP chief’s words, come against the background of the Narendra Modi government’s demonstrated inability to speak about or acknowledge with due gravity the reality in Arunachal Pradesh.In June this year, the Nah Welfare Society had alleged that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had expanded its presence in near Taksing.A report on Arunachal24 had it that the Nah Welfare Society submitted a detailed memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Upper Subansiri, alleging that Chinese forces have established roads, bridges and military camps in several locations traditionally used by local communities for grazing, hunting and collection of forest produce.According to the memorandum, the alleged activities have intensified over the past 10 to 15 years, with a noticeable increase after 2020.In August this year, The Wire had reported citing The Arunachal Times that a fact-finding team formed to assess the ground situation had alleged that PLA personnel have effectively denied Indian forces access to key patrolling points in the Taksing area, and are steadily expanding control over Indian grazing and hunting grounds along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).The People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) had constituted this four-member fact-finding committee, comprising former minister Kahfa Bengia, PPA vice-president Kaling Jerang, and secretaries Sorang Kiokam and Narah Jimmy.The Wire has reported on how former Union minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party government R.K. Singh had asked Modi to break his silence on how many patrolling points the Indian army has “given up” since 2014. Singh had also mentioned the Shera 5 point, highlighted by Hari in Bengia Ajum’s video report.“It appears that we have abandoned a patrolling point called Shera 5 in Taksing in Arunachal, and the Chinese have established a prominent position there,” he had said.Remember this young boy from Arunachal Pradesh? 💔Back in August, he posted a heartbreaking video warning about Chinese intrusions into Indian territory.Andbhakts and Godi Media branded him as a “Chinese agent”Now, the ITBP DG’s remarks about clashes since July raise serious questions.Mr. Modi, why was this boy attacked instead of being heard? Why were Indians kept in the dark about reports from our own border? https://t.co/dCzvnQFIV4— Krishna Yadav (@Control_Krishna) October 23, 2026In August itself, Union minister Kiren Rijiju rejected the claims that Chinese troops had penetrated 60 kilometres into Arunachal Pradesh, but acknowledged that Chinese military activity on high ridges along the frontier had increased. Rijiju had said concerns raised by villagers about it were justified and should be taken seriously.“Our people believe that our land extends further ahead, while the villages situated on the China side, including Tibetan and local people, claim that their land extends deep inside here. So, there is confusion,” Rijiju had said.Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu also rejected reports of Chinese encroachment, as did the Indian Army.However, contrary to government claims, according to an Indian Express report, on September 6, Corps Commander-level talks were held at the Wacha-Damai border meeting point on the Indian side to address ongoing issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the area. These came following multiple meetings between local commanders on both sides in the weeks leading up to the Corps Commander-level meeting, the report said.Yesterday, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that “both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).”Criticism growsIn August this year, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had said that it was “alarming” that China was stopping Indian forces from patrolling in Arunachal Pradesh, and questioned what the prime minister and his top colleagues were doing about it.“You know what is happening? I get information from Modi ji‘s office. A full revolt is on. China is preventing us from patrolling our areas in Arunachal Pradesh. Rajnath Singh (defence minister), Amit Shah (home minister) and Narendra Modi (prime minister) have been knocked off their stride. What are they doing? They are calling up media editors and trying to suppress this news,” Gandhi had alleged at a Congress event in Delhi.The Congress party has also expressed deep alarm and grave concern.On Friday as well, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that the Narendra Modi government had issued “enough clean chits to China,” and that “PM Modi must come clean before India”.In a post on X, Kharge said the ITBP chief’s confirmation of continuing face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh was “deeply alarming”.The Cockroach Janata Party too has been unsparing.Wish the govt was this proactive against the Chinese intrusion.— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 24, 2026A day ago, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had said that “forces that should be protecting our borders are being deployed to stop citizens from protesting” and the prime minister is “putting national security at risk”.Neha Singh Rathore, the Bhojpuri singer whose satirical song renderings often finds the government embarrassed, has released a new song noting how “the watchman is scared of China.”चौकीदार अपना चाइना से डरता हैअरुणाचल पे चीन दावा करता है… https://t.co/SWAAZSrojj— Neha Singh Rathore (@nehafolksinger) October 24, 2026