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| Arunachal is India's, repeats Pranab | | |
New Delhi, Nov 24
Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and there is nothing to debate about this.
But India should not do anything to raise tensions with China, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Friday.
An agitated Mukherjee, replying to an almost an hour long impromptu discussion in the Lok Sabha over Chinese ambassador to India Sun Yuxi's statement that Arunachal was China's, also rejected opposition leader LK Advani's demand for a resolution in parliament denouncing the envoy's remarks.
"Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India... The house (Lok Sabha) had passed a resolution in 1962 clarifying our stand on Arunachal Pradesh, which is part of history," Mukherjee said.
"It is not a debatable issue at all," the minister thundered. "This continues to remain the position of parliament and successive governments. There is no change in this position."
Raising the issue, Adavani expressed concern over the ambassador's statement on the eve of Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to India. He alleged that the government did not react sharply to the claim by the ambassador.
A few days before Hu's visit, Sun's remarks claiming Arunachal Pradesh to be a part of China had created a furore.
"'In our position the whole of the state of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory. Tawang is only one of the places in it. We are claiming all of that. That is our position,'" Sun had said.
Mukherjee said the issue should not spoil relations between the two countries.
"Two special representatives were appointed and eight rounds of discussions were held (to resolve the border dispute). Let's not create a situation that heightens the tension.
"Over the years we have developed our relations. Ice has been broken; the process began in 2001 and the trade relations have improved," Mukherjee said, adding that he was giving the credit to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's National Democratic Alliance government.
Mukherje also pointed out that there was Chinese transgression on the Actual Line of Control on the Sino-Indian border in June 2003 when Vajpayee was visiting Beijing.
"It has happened in the past. China does not recognise Arunachal Pradesh. We have never accepted that position," he said.
The house witnessed acrimonious scenes when members from various parties voiced anguish over the Chinese ambassador's claim.
Arunachal Pradesh MPs Tapir Gao and Kiran Rijiju also spoke. Gao said: "People of Arunachal have expressed their love and affection towards India. There is not even a separatist movement in our state. We are proud of it."
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