The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that India’s chargé d’affaires in the Beijing embassy will not be attending the opening or closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
This comes a day after a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldier, who was involved in the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash with Indian Army troops, was made a torchbearer at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Torch Relay.
Reacting to the development, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it’s regrettable that China has chosen to politicise an event like the Olympics.
“Regrettable that China has chosen to politicise the Olympics. The Indian envoy will not attend the opening or closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics,” ANI quoted Bagchi as saying.
Meanwhile, Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati has announced that the DD Sports channel will not telecast live the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics being held in Beijing.
According to the Chinese state media, Qi Fabao, a PLA regiment commander from Xinjiang military command, stated that he carried the flame at Winter Olympic Park on Wednesday.
As per the Chinese media, around 1,200 torchbearers will carry the flame for the Winter Olympic Games and there are about 600 torchbearers for the Paralympic Games.
The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics torch relay is being held from February 2 to 4 before the Games commence on February 4.
India raises issue of Arunachal boy’s torture with China
While commenting on the issue of the torture of an Arunachal Pradesh boy by the Chinese PLA, the MEA spokesperson said “India has taken up the issue with the Chinese side.”Chinese PLA handed over the young boy from Arunachal Pradesh to Indian Army at Wacha Damai in Arunachal Pradesh on January 27.
