SC dismisses plea seeking action against Union minister VK Singh for comment on India crossing LAC

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking action against Union minister VK Singh for his statement that India had crossed the Line of Actual Control on more occasions than China, Bar and Bench reported.

A bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justices AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy told the petitioner that the courts could do nothing in this matter.

“Somebody does not approve of comments made by a minister and so [is] the solution is to file a petition in the court to remove them?” the bench asked, according to Live Law. “If he has done something, it is for the prime minister to act if it is inappropriate. The court cannot pass any orders.”

Speaking to reporters in February amid border tensions between India and China, Singh had said, “Let me assure you, if China has transgressed 10 times, we must have done it at least 50 times.”

He also said India’s border with China had never been demarcated, and that the two countries have differing perceptions about the de facto border. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Wenbin had said Singh’s remark was “an unwitting confession by the Indian side”.

The plea filed by an individual named Chandrasekaran Ramasamy submitted that Singh’s comment was in breach of his oath as a minister, and that it…

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