AMN / NEW DELHI
India on Tuesday rejected China’s objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying the Northeastern state was, is and will always be an integral and inalienable part of this country.
In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal asserted that China’s objection to visits by Indian leaders or India’s developmental projects “does not stand to reason”.
“We reject the comments made by the Chinese side regarding the visit of the Prime Minister to Arunachal Pradesh. Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh from time to time, as they visit other States of India. Objecting to such visits or India’s developmental projects does not stand to reason,” he said.
“Further, it will not change the reality that the State of Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. The Chinese side has been made aware of this consistent position on several occasions,” the spokesperson added.
During a briefing in Beijing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China “strongly deplores and firmly opposes” PM Modi’s visit to the “East Section of the China-India boundary” and has raised concerns with India.
Beijing claims that the entire Arunachal Pradesh is part of China and invariably raises objections to any Indian leader’s visit to the state.
PM Modi on March 9 had virtually inaugurated the strategic Sela Tunnel during an event held in Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh. The tunnel has been constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at an altitude of 13,000 feet on the road connecting Tezpur, Assam to Tawang in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).