Congress slams Arunachal CM for Tibet statement

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Itanagar, April 22 (IANS) The Congress Arunachal Pradesh unit on Saturday described as "immature and uncalled for" Chief Minister Pema Khandu's statement that the Indian state shares a border with Tibet and not China.

"The Chief Minister of a sensitive state like Arunachal Pradesh should not make any statement before going through the political status and history of Tibet, as recognised by the Indian government," state Congress President Takam Sanjoy said.

Sanjoy, a former Lok Sabha member, said Tibet as of today has the status of the 'Tibetan Autonomous Region of People's Republic of China'.

On April 14, New Delhi said there is no change in the Indian position that Tibet is a part of China and that it will continue to seek a mutually acceptable solution to the boundary issue.

Khandu had allegedly said that Beijing has no right to threaten New Delhi on the Dalai Lama's movement within the country as India shares a boundary with Tibet and not China.

He said the McMahon Line in reality demarcates the territory between India and Tibet.

The McMahon Line, an imaginary border now known as the Line of Actual Control, is just 25 km from Tawang.

On Beijing's move to rename six places in Arunachal Pradesh, Sanjoy said: "The indigenous and ethnic people of Arunachal Pradesh have since the British Raj got integrated into the Indian mainstream.

"Some of the tribal leaders even participated in the Indian freedom struggle. Therefore, disputing Arunachal's status by China is absolutely absurd and beyond ethnic evidence," the Congress leader said.

"Arunachal Pradesh is without doubt an integral part of the Indian Union," he said.

On the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit to Arunachal this month, Sanjoy said it is a non-issue and the Chinese government's opposition to the visit was impulsive.