Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reacted sharply to China "renaming" several places in Arunachal Pradesh, saying if India made similar attempts, would that mean those areas in China have become “parts of our territory”.
Addressing a poll rally at Arunachal Pradesh's Namsai area on Tuesday, Rajnath Singh said, "I want to ask China if we change the names of various states of the neighbouring country, will those be parts of our territory? Because of such activities, the relationship between India and China will deteriorate."
Last week, China released a list of 30 new names of various places along the line of actual control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh. In the past, China has made similar attempts to assert its claim on the northeastern state.
Rajnath Singh said China’s move to change the names of 30 places in Arunachal Pradesh will not change the ground reality.
"We want to maintain good relations with all our neighbours. But if anybody tries to harm our self-respect, India has the capability to give a befitting reply," the Defence Minister said, asserting that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.
Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs rejected China's claims on Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state 'was, is, and will always be an integrable part of India'.
