Indian army contacts PLA regarding 'missing' youths from Arunachal: Kiren Rijiju

Union Sports and Youth Welfare minister Kiren Rijiju, on Sunday, said the Indian army contacted PLA of China over hotline for information regarding five youths, who reportedly went missing on Friday along the Mcmahon line in upper Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh.

"The Indian Army has already sent hotline message to the counterpart PLA establishment at the border point in Arunachal Pradesh. A response is awaited," Rijiju tweeted replying to a query regarding updates on the five youths.

Rijiju is a Lok Sabha member from Arunachal Pradesh.

This comes a day after Congress MLA from Pasighat West constituency in Arunachal Pradesh, Ninong Ering tweeted that five youths had been "abducted" by PLA from a place called Sera 7, an interior place close to the border which still does not have a road and telephone connection. It takes about 10 to 12 days on foot to reach Sera 7 from Nacho, a circle headquarters in Upper Subansiri district, officials said.

Prakash Ringling, brother of Prasad Ringling, one of the youths posted on Facebook, on Friday, that five persons under Nacho circle including his brother, were abducted by troops of PLA from Sera-7. He also sought help of the administration and army to bring them back.

Nacho, the circle headquarters under which the youths reportedly went missing on Friday

Sources said officials took the reports seriously as it emerged amid the growing tension between the troops of India and China in Ladakh.

Arunachal police sought army's help and even send a team of police to verify the reports but they are yet to come back.

"Police is on their job. But so far there is no update on this," Deputy commissioner of Upper Subansiri, Kanto Danggen said on Sunday.

Ering, in a tweet on Sunday evening thanked Rijiju and hoped for early response from PLA.

The McMahon Line demarcates the boundary between the Tibet autonomous region of China and Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as its own. The McMahon Line is not properly demarcated and small cement pillars erected on the Indian side often get covered under jungles.