New Delhi: India on Tuesday firmly rejected China's objection to Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh and asserted that the state "was, is and will" always remain an integral and inalienable part of India. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said objecting to such visits does not stand to reason and will not change the reality.
"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 said.
Bagchi was responding to media queries on the Chinese reaction. In a clear message to China from the border village of Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh, Shah on Monday had said no one can dare cast an evil eye on India's territorial integrity and encroach even an "inch of our land." He said the era when anyone could encroach the borderlands of India was over.
Shah said that India is taking all measures to boost its security. "Today, we say with pride that gone are the days when anybody could encroach on India's land. Today, we can proudly say that no one can encroach even a tip of a pin's worth of our land because ITBP and Indian Army are present at our borders. I salute the sacrifices of all the jawans. Whosoever came to encroach the land here in 1962 had to return because of your patriotism," he added.
