'Price we pay for PM's clean chit': Cong hits out as China asserts claim over Arunachal

Congress on Tuesday sought to put the BJP-led union government on the mat for China releasing a third set of names for places in Arunachal Pradesh, saying it is the price India is paying for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clean chit to Beijing and his silence on Chinese actions.

Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said the country was facing the consequences of Modi's “lean chit” to China. For the third time China has “dared to rename” our areas in Arunachal Pradesh, he said adding, “April 21, 2017 - 6 places, December 30, 2021 - 15 places, April 3, 2023 - 11 places.”

“Arunachal Pradesh is and will remain an integral part of India. After Galwan, the country is facing the consequences of Modi-ji's clean chit to China,” Kharge tweeted.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “China has snatched 2000 sq km of land, they are changing names of places – Prime Minister is silent, no answer! Prime Minister, why so much fear?”

Also Read: China at it again, renames 11 places in India's Arunachal Pradesh in Mandarin, Tibetan to assert territorial claim

In a statement, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam said a top Chinese diplomat recently claimed that the India-China border situation is now “stable” but China’s provocations and transgressions continue, the latest being releasing a third set of Chinese names for places in Arunachal Pradesh, having done so earlier in 2017 and 2021.

On Sunday, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs released standardised names of 11 places for Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls "Zangnan, the southern part of Tibet".

"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," Ramesh said.

"Arunachal Pradesh has always been and remains an integral and unalienable part of India. The people of Arunachal Pradesh 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," he said.

Ramesh's statement came even as External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi outrightly rejected China's action and asserted that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi 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," he said.