Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday, August 29 asserted that the Indian territories, including Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin are an "indistinguishable" part of the country, and the G20 Summit in New Delhi will be another opportunity for India to expose the issue of China’s transgressions at the global stage. He also said that the status quo ante before May 2020 should be of utmost importance, and the Modi government must not budge from anything less than the restoration of the same.
Kharge said, “The Indian territories including Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin are an indistinguishable and inalienable part of India. No arbitrarily invented Chinese map can change that.” He also stressed that China is a habitual offender and said, “China is a habitual offender when it comes to renaming and redrawing maps of territories belonging to other countries.”
“The Indian National Congress takes strong objection to any such illegal representation or renaming of India's territories. We want a peaceful coexistence with our neighbours, including China and want peace and tranquillity at the LAC (Line of Actual Control). It is, however, painful to note that China's deception and belligerence continues, post Galwan, in the wake of Prime Minister Modi giving them a free pass, by saying "no one entered our territory", after 20 of our brave soldiers were martyred,” he charged at the BJP-led Union government.
The Congress leader, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said, “The Modi government must ensure that the illegal Chinese occupation of 2000 square kilometres of Indian territory along the LAC must end.”
The remarks from the Congress leader came after what could lead to yet another diplomatic flare-up. China on August 28 released what it called the "2023 edition of the standard map of China" showing Aksai Chin and the whole of Arunachal Pradesh within its territory, according to reports quoting local Chinese media. The map was released by China's ministry of natural resources, they said. The latest development has come four months after Beijing announced in April that it will "standardise" names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh. The release of the map has come at a time when the New Delhi G20 summit is less than a fortnight away, which the Chinese president Xi Jinping is also expected to attend.
The G20 summit is scheduled to be held between September 9 and 10. India has always asserted that Arunachal Pradesh has "always been" and will "always be" an integral part of the country.