HT Digital
GUWAHATI, MAY 14: India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a strong condemnation of China’s repeated attempts to rename locations within Arunachal Pradesh. In a sharply worded official statement, the MEA asserted that such efforts are futile and unacceptable.
“We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Consistent with our principled position, we reject such attempts categorically. Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” the statement read.
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This response comes amid China’s continued issuance of so-called “standardised” names for places in Arunachal Pradesh—a region Beijing refers to as “South Tibet,” a claim India has consistently rejected. The MEA emphasized that no amount of such arbitrary naming will change the ground reality or India’s sovereign claim over the state.
Reacting to the development, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu also slammed the move, dismissing it as “another gimmick from China.” In a post earlier in 2024, Khandu wrote, “Being a proud citizen of Bharat and a native of Arunachal Pradesh, I strongly condemn this act of naming places within Arunachal Pradesh, which has always been an integral part of India.”
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also reinforced India’s firm stance, stating that China’s “senseless attempts” to rename places are entirely rejected and will have no bearing on India’s territorial integrity.
