New Delhi: Declaring himself as a "proud Indian", Congress MP from Arunachal Pradesh Ninong Ering on Monday said in the Lok Sabha that he wishes to visit China to meet the members of Lohoba tribe but asserted that he will not do so on a "stapled visa".
"I want to visit China as a proud Indian and not go there through the backdoor like other MPs have done. I will go there on a regular visa and not a stapled visa," Ering said.
"I will prefer to take the bullet on the chest," said the MP from Arunachal East.
China, which lays claim over Arunachal Pradesh, has a policy of issuing stapled visas to residents of the state.
Erring, who belongs to the Adi tribe, said he wanted to visit China to meet the members of the Lohoba tribe.
"We speak the same dialect and have the same dress code. On the Chinese side the tribe is known as Lohoba while on the Indian side its known as Adi," Erring added while participating in a debate on Demand for Grants of the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Tourism.
When later asked about the issue, Ering said some "BJP MPs" had visited China through "backdoor".
