China reacted sharply to India’s plan to construct a road network in LAC
Union home minister Rajnath Singh hit back Thursday, saying "‘no country can warn India" and added that both nations should sit together to resolve the issue. (Photo: PTI)
New Delhi: A day after China reacted sharply to India’s reported plan to construct a road network along the McMahon Line in Arunachal Pradesh, Union home minister Rajnath Singh hit back Thursday, saying “‘no country can warn India” and added that both nations should sit together to resolve the issue.
“Today, no country can give a warning to India. India has emerged as a strong country. As far as India-China border issues are concerned, I think China should sit with India and resolve this issue,” he told reporters on the sidelines NSG Raising Day function.
The home minister’s sharp reaction came on a day the two countries began talks in New Delhi on the border mechanism, when the recent standoff in Ladakh between troops of both sides was discussed, as well as ways to prevent such incidents in future.
PM Narendra Modi is expected to address the tri-services combined commanders’ conference Friday, when the situation on the borders is likely to be discussed.
The two-day India-China talks, held under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs, are being held to discuss issues pertaining to the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas. The meeting was mandated to discuss ways to prevent incidents like the recent standoff in Ladakh that cast a shadow on the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to New Delhi last month.
Sources said the government was taking several steps to improve infrastructure along the Sino-Indian border, especially in Arunachal and Kashmir. On Tuesday, the home minister reviewed the situation along the 3,488 km-long border with China.
China had on Wednesday reacted sharply to India’s reported plans to construct a road network along the McMahon line in Arunachal Pradesh and expressed hope that India will not take any action which may complicate the situation before a final settlement is reached to end the boundary dispute.
“We still need to verify the specifics. The boundary issue between China and India is left by the colonial past. We need to deal with this issue properly,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lie had told a media briefing in Beijing on Wednesday. He had reacted to reported comments by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju stating that plans are afoot to construct a road network along the international boundary from Mago-Thingbu in Tawang to Vijaynagar in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh to match China’s infrastructure development.
“There is a dispute about the eastern part of the China- India border. Before the final settlement is reached we hope that India will not take any action that may further complicate the situation,” he had said, adding, “We should jointly safeguard the peace and tranquillity of the border area and create favourable conditions for the final settlement of the border issue.”
( Source : dc correspondent )
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