NEW DELHI: Arunachal Pradesh is indisputably an integral and inalienable part of India, govt asserted Tuesday in response to Beijing’s rejection of its decision to formally identify and map 27 places in the state. Following recent reports about fresh border tensions, govt also reiterated that “the state of border affairs will reflect on the state of larger bilateral ties”.The home ministry had last week identified 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh by “standard place and feature names” on the official maps of Survey of India, saying this would facilitate their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public. China, which has at least on six occasions assigned new names to places in Arunachal to reinforce its claim over the state, called the action “illegal, null and void”.“Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact. Nothing can change this indisputable reality,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, responding to queries about remarks by the Chinese foreign ministry.
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The Indian exercise had followed unconfirmed reports of incursions by PLA into Arunachal Pradesh. CM Pema Khandu had denied there was any such incursion by Chinese troops.The MEA said India had always emphasised that the maintenance of peace in border areas was of the utmost importance. “We have also stated that the state of border affairs will reflect on the state of our larger bilateral ties,” Jaiswal said, adding this was reiterated at the 36th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs, where the two sides engaged in “frank discussions” and reviewed the situation along LAC.“It was agreed to continue to use existing diplomatic and military channels… to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along LAC,” the official said.