India on Thursday announced that its envoy will not attend the opening or closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, protesting China’s move to pick a soldier stationed at Galwan as the Olympic torchbearer.
“It is indeed regrettable that the Chinese side has chosen to politicize an event like the Olympics,” Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told the media.
The decision was taken overnight as reports and pictures of the Chinese soldier as torchbearer went viral on social media. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday.
following the MEA statement, Public Broadcaster Prasar Bharti declared that they will not live telecast the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.
The Galwan clashes in 2020 had resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers, while China admitted to losing at least four of its troops.
New Delhi will boycott the Olympics at the diplomatic level although it will send an athlete — a skier from Kashmir.
The US, UK and Canada among about a dozen countries that have already declared a diplomatic boycott, citing human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslim population, although they will send athletes.
According to reports, Pakistan PM Imran Khan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are scheduled to attend the opening ceremony.
