Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday criticised China for naming 30 places in Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing considers part of south Tibet. Rijiju, sitting MP from Arunachal West, said New Delhi is upset and totally rejects China's naming activities. "The External Affairs Ministry has responded appropriately. I feel China is very nervous," he said.
The minister, however, targeted the previous Congress government for not developing the northeastern state. "Earlier these border areas were left underdeveloped during Congress' time. Chinese were very happy with the Congress government because Congress had the policy not to develop the border areas," he said.
Rijiju said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reversed the negative border policy of the Congress party. He said China is feeling uncomfortable. "That is why they are resorting to this unethical conduct. This is not 1962 India. If we are disturbed then we will respond. Nobody can change our status. What Congress says is basically furthering the propaganda of China," he said.
Earlier today, the MEA rejected attempts by China to rename places in Arunachal and asserted that assigning "invented names" will not alter the reality that the state "is, has been, and will always be" an integral and inalienable part of India.
"China has persisted with its senseless attempts to rename places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. We firmly reject such attempts. Assigning invented names will not alter the reality that Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India," MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said changing names won't have any effect and Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be India's part. "If today I change the name of your house, will it become mine? Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be a state of India. Changing names does not have an effect," he said, adding the Indian army is deployed at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Today, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged the Centre to adopt a "tit-for-tat" approach in response to China's efforts to rename places in Arunachal. Sarma suggested that India should counter by assigning its own names for 60 "Tibetan areas of China." "My request to the government of India is that we should give 60 geographical names to Tibetan areas of China," Sarma told reporters, but said he does not want to comment as it is a policy decision of the government of India. "But if they have named 30, we should name 60."