New Delhi:
An ace marksman from Arunachal Pradesh has become the latest victim of the India-China visa row. Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Pemba Tamang, was refused permission by Indian Customs officials to board a plane to China.
On Thursday night, Tamang was getting ready to board a plane along with other team members when he was stopped by Indian Customs authorities as his Chinese visa was stapled and not printed on his passport.
"I came all the way here and now I am missing the competition. I am just sitting here and the whole team has gone," a disgruntled Tamang says.
The incident comes to light just after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting with the Chinese Premier Hu Jintao in Brasilia where he raised India's serious concerns over Beijing's issuance of stapled visas.
The Chinese have followed this system with Indian citizens from disputed areas like Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Interestingly, Tamang - who is a member of the Army marksmanship unit - says he's already travelled at least three times on the same visa.
Sources say it's unlikely that a fresh visa will be issued by the Chinese government as the Chinese Embassy maintains, "The person in question has been issued a valid visa."
The National Rifle Association has also told Tamang that he will now not be able to travel to China using his current visa. This also raises doubts on his participation in the Asian Games being held in China later this year.
Tamang has now become the latest casualty in the Sino-Indian border war.