Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday reacted strongly to China’s objections to India’s plan to construct a massive road network along the McMahon line by asserting that “no country can give warning to India.”
“Today, no country can give warning to India. India has emerged as a strong country in the world. As far as India-China border issue is concerned, I think China should sit with India and resolve this issue,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Raising Day event of elite counter-terror force NSG here.
Singh was asked about China’s strong reaction to India’s plan to construct a road network along McMahon line from Mago-Thingbu in Tawang to Vijaynagar in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Government is taking a number of steps for improving infrastructure along the Sino-Indian border, especially in Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, said Rajnath.
On Wednesday Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman had said that India should settle the border disputes before attempting to build roads in the border areas. “There is a dispute on the eastern part of the China-India border. Before final settlement is reached, we hope that India will not take any action that may further complicate the situation, “said Hong lie, Chinese spokesperson, in Beijing.
Forces of the two countries were locked in a stare-down at Chumur in ladakh for a fortnight beginning September 11, which clouded the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day India visit. For days, soldiers of the PlA and the Indian Army personnel were engaged in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation in the area.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the matter twice with the Chinese President. Tension erupted when some Chinese workers crossed over with equipment to build a road five kilometre deep inside the Indian territory. A marathon flag meeting between the two armies facilitated an end to the stand-off.
The Home Minister on Tuesday reviewed the prevailing situation along the 3,488 km-long border with China and steps being taken to stop incursions in future.