India slams China for 'absurd' and 'baseless' comments over Arunachal Pradesh tunnel

Indian foreign ministry on Tuesday (Mar 19) hit back at China over "absurd" and "baseless" comments made by the Spokesperson of the Chinese Defence Ministry regarding Arunachal Pradesh state.

The ministry asserted that the northeastern state of India, which shares a border with China, will always be an "integral and inalienable part of India".

China alleges that Arunachal Pradesh is part of southern Tibet. However, New Delhi has always vehemently rejected such unsubstantiated claims, stating that Arunachal Pradesh has always been a part of India.

In an official statement, Randhir Jaiswal,the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said, "We have noted the comments made by the Spokesperson of the Chinese Defence Ministry advancing absurd claims over the territory of the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh."

"Repeating baseless arguments in this regard does not lend such claims any validity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Its people will continue to benefit from our development programmes and infrastructure projects," the statement added.

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The official statement came after last week's remarks by Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, who is the spokesman of China's Ministry of National Defense after the inauguration of a road tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9.

In a statement, Zhang said that India should "stop taking any moves that complicate the border issue and earnestly maintain peace and stability in the border areas".

The statement added that the tunnel's inauguration "runs counter to the efforts made by both sides to ease the border situation".

(With inputs from agencies)