Arunachal Home Minister & MPs decry Chinese comments on State

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Bamang Felix along with Rajya Sabha MP Nabam Rebia and MP-East Tapir Gao on Tuesday dismissed the statement by the China terming, Arunachal Pradesh as 'South Tibet'.

Speaking to the reporters, Felix said, "Arunachal Pradesh is the integral part of India. Therefore, China should stop the pigmentation of imagination by claiming our State as 'South Tibet'." When asked about the action initiated by the State government to bring back the five youths who were reportedly kidnapped by the China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently, Felix said that the State police as well as the Army in the post are doing their ground work to find the missing boys. "We have communicated to the Central government on the matter; and hope that our people are safe and unharmed," he said, adding, "We have very strong Army in the post to tackle such issues."

He also informed that the construction of border roads is in process and a few such projects have been completed. Once the entire stretch of roads connecting the borders areas of State is completed, we will have better road communication, he said, when questioned on the poor road connectivity in the border areas.

Rajya Sabha MP Nabam Rebia dismissed the Chinese comment on Arunachal Pradesh as "a figment of their imagination". He also requested China to immediately release the five abducted Arunachalee youths.

He further said, "China should refrain from passing such provocative comments to claim Arunachal Pradesh. China should maintain brotherhood and should be clear that the people of Arunachal Pradesh are Indians and will remain so in future too," he said.

MP-East Tapir Gao who has been repeatedly stressing upon the Central government to strengthen the borders areas of State connecting China, said that the statement by the spokesperson of China's foreign ministry Zhao Lijian claiming Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet is 'false'. "We were never a part of Tibet and will never be part of China in future," he said, adding that, even Tibet was never under China in the past. They illegally captured Tibet and are now trying to claim Arunachal Pradesh."

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