PM Modi being welcomed by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in state capital Itanagar
India today strongly rejected China's objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, and asserted that the state "was, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India".
Rubbishing China's complaint, External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Chinese side has been made aware of this "consistent position" on several occasions.
"Objecting to such visits by Indian leaders to Arunachal Pradesh or India's developmental projects in the state does not stand to reason," he said.
"We reject the comments made by the Chinese side regarding the visit of the Prime Minister to Arunachal Pradesh," he said.
China on Monday said it lodged a complaint with India over PM Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh last week, and reiterated its claim over the region by saying India's moves will "only complicate" the unresolved boundary question.
Mr Jaiswal said China's objection to such visits will not change the reality that Arunachal Pradesh "was, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India."
"Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh from time to time, as they visit other states of India. Objecting to such visits or India's developmental projects does not stand to reason," he said.
"Further, it will not change the reality that the State of Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India," Mr Jaiswal said.
"Chinese side has been made aware of this consistent position on several occasions." he added.
Mr Jaiswal was responding to media queries on the Chinese objection to PM Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh.
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