India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated its stance on Tuesday, denouncing what it called "absurd claims" made by the Chinese defence ministry regarding the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. The MEA emphasized that Arunachal Pradesh is and will always remain an integral part of India.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "Repeating baseless arguments in this regard does not lend such claims any validity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Its people will continue to benefit from our development programmes and infrastructure projects."

This statement comes after the Chinese military restated its claim over Arunachal Pradesh, labeling it as an "inherent part of China's territory." This declaration followed India's rejection of Beijing's objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state.

Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesman for the Chinese Defence Ministry, asserted that the southern part of Xizang (Tibet) is an inherent part of China's territory. He stated that Beijing "never acknowledges and firmly opposes" the "so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India."

Zhang's comments were made in response to India's military enhancements, particularly through the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, as reported on the Chinese Defence Ministry's website.

China, referring to Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet, routinely protests Indian leaders' visits to the state to underscore its territorial claims, also naming the area as Zangnan.

India has consistently rejected China's territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh, asserting its integral part in the country. Additionally, New Delhi dismissed Beijing's attempts to assign "invented" names to the area, emphasizing that such actions do not alter the ground reality.

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