New Delhi: India on Tuesday outrightly rejected China’s renaming of certain places in Arunachal Pradesh, and asserted that the state is an integral and inalienable part of India.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said attempts to assign “invented names” will not alter this reality.
“We have seen such reports. This is not the first time China has made such an attempt. We reject this outright,” Bagchi said.
“Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality,” he said.
His comments came in response to media queries regarding the renaming of certain places in Arunachal Pradesh by China.
China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs on Sunday released standardised names of 11 places for Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls “Zangnan, the southern part of Tibet”.
Result of PM Modi’s ‘eloquent silence’: Cong
The Congress took strong objection to China renaming several places in Arunachal Pradesh and said it is the result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “clean chit” to the neighbouring country and his “eloquent silence” on Chinese actions at the border.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the country continues to face the consequences of Modi’s clean chit to China.
“For the third time, China has dared to rename our areas in Arunachal Pradesh. April 21, 2017 — 6 places, December 30, 2021 — 15 places, April 3, 2023 — 11 places.
“Arunachal Pradesh is and will remain an integral part of India. After Galwan, the country is facing the consequences of Modiji’s clean chit to China,” Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jairam Ramesh said a top Chinese diplomat has recently claimed that the India-China border situation is now “stable”.
“But China’s provocations and transgressions continue. It has now released a third set of Chinese names for places in Arunachal Pradesh, having done so earlier in 2017 and 2021.
“This is the price we continue to pay for PM Modi’s clean chit to China in June 2020 and his eloquent silence on Chinese actions,” Ramesh said in a statement.
He said almost three years later, Chinese forces continue to deny Indian patrolling teams access to the strategic Depsang plains to which they previously had unimpeded access.
“And now the Chinese are attempting to undermine the status quo in Arunachal Pradesh.
“Arunachal Pradesh has always been and remains an integral and unalienable part of India. The people of Arunachal Pradesh are proud and patriotic citizens of India. There should be no doubt whatsoever on the collective resolve of India, and of all Indians, to ensure that these realities are not disturbed in any way,” the Congress leader said.
According to media reports, China has renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh.
