Congress takes swipe at Modi govt over China renaming places in Arunachal

"China has dared to 'rename' our areas in Arunachal Pradesh for the third time. Arunachal Pradesh is, and will remain an integral part of India.

"The country is facing the consequences of Modi ji giving a 'clean chit' to China," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote in a tweet in Hindi, attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Congress general secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh said, "A top Chinese diplomat 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. Almost three years later, Chinese forces continue to deny our patrols access to the strategic Depsang Plains to which we previously had unimpeded access. And now the Chinese are attempting to undermine the status quo in Arunachal Pradesh," the MP said in a statement.

He added, "Arunachal Pradesh has always been and remains an integral and unalienable part of India. The people of the state 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."

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said, "We have seen such reports. This is not the first time China has made such an attempt. We reject this outright."

"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," it said.

Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,080 km border with China.