As Rahul Gandhi cites report on Chinese construction in Arunachal, Rijiju points out facts

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his 'ignorance of sensitive facts' while referring to a report which claimed that China was building a village inside the Indian territory of Arunachal Pradesh. 

Sharing the article on Twitter, Gandhi attempted to mock Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise "to not let the country bow down," to Chinese aggression along the border. The article, however, was erroneous as China was reportedly building houses in the conflicted area of the LAC, and not inside the Indian boundaries. 

Owaisi Flags China's Construction Of A Village In Arunachal, Questions PM Modi's Silence

Hitting out at the Congress leader on the same, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Those locations you are referring to have been under Chinese occupation since very-very long Congress regime in India. How can a national leader be ignorant and unaware of sensitive facts?" he questioned. 

On Monday, news reports surfaced that China has allegedly built a village on the banks of River Tsari Chu in Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh. The village reportedly consists of 101 homes and encroaches approximately 4.5 kilometres into the Indian territory.

The report claimed that the Chinese village was built around the time India and China clashed in Ladakh's Galwan Valley in June 2020. The reports also cited satellite imagery that shows a development cropping up in the region.

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'Keeping a close watch': MEA

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement in response to China's latest misadventure along the border areas with India.  Reacting to the report, MEA stated, "China has undertaken such infrastructure construction activity in the past several years. In response, our government too has stepped up border infrastructure including the construction of roads, bridges, etc, which has provided much-needed connectivity to the local population along the border."

"Government remains committed to the objective of creating infrastructure along the border areas for the improvement of livelihood of its citizens, including in Arunachal Pradesh. The Government of India keeps a constant watch on all developments having a bearing on India's security and takes all the necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity," it added. 

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