Congress slams Gujarat govt over Arunachal Pradesh map

The Congress on Monday alleged that a map distributed by the Gujarat government had shown Arunachal Pradesh as disputed territory. 

However, the Gujarat government claimed that it has neither signed nor endorsed the map. The Congress said the map was distributed on Wednesday at the press conference of senior IAS officer D J Pandian who had briefed the media on signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) between the Chinese delegation and Gujarat government in the presence of China’s President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The map allegedly showed Arunachal Pradesh in dotted line. The Congress alleged that the Gujarat government, through the map, was admitting that it was a disputed territory.

The Congress sought a clarification from Modi. “The prime minister has been targeting the previous UPA government over border issues and even announced during his rallies in north-east that Arunachal was an integral part of India. (But) here, right under his nose, a map showing the state as disputed (area) had been circulated,’’ said Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhvadiya. 

Clarification

The Gujarat government issued a clarification on Monday night saying the map is showing the location of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City in China and it was neither signed by any official nor endorsed by the government of Gujarat. 

The map shows the location and the other data such as geographical area and population but it was not part of the MoU signed, it added.