India on Tuesday firmly rejected the objections raised by China to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying the state is an integral and inalienable part of India. Objecting to such visits does not stand to reason and will not change the above reality, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.
"We completely reject the comments made by the Chinese Official Spokesperson. Indian leaders routinely travel to the state of Arunachal Pradesh as they do to any other state of India,” Bagchi said.
“Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India. Objecting to such visits does not stand to reason and will not change the above reality,” he further said in the statement.
China had strongly opposed Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh saying his activities in the area was violating Beijing's territorial sovereignty.
"The Indian official's visit to Zangnan violates China's territorial sovereignty, and is not conducive to the peace and tranquility of the border situation," said foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.
The home minister on Monday launched the 'Vibrant Villages Programme' (VVP) in Kibithoo, a village along the India-China border.
"The era is gone when anyone could encroach on our lands. Now, not even land equal to 'sui ki noke' (inch of land) can be encroached...," Shah said in a clear message to China.
Beijing, in an attempt to assert its claim over the Indian state, had recently renamed 11 places in region. India, however, outrightly rejected the renaming exercise, asserting that the state is an integral part of India and assigning "invented" names does not alter this reality.
