New Delhi, Dec.4 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday accused both China and Pakistan of pursuing aggressive policies and mouthing views inimical to India's security and interests, which he described as extremely unfortunate.
Interacting with media after a meeting of floor leaders of the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) here this evening, Prasad said: "The aggressive designs of China and Pakistan, and especially the Chinese Government's negative reaction to President Pranab Mukherjee's recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, is very unfortunate."
Prasad was objecting to Beijing's repeated territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh, and its view that the state continues to be under India's "illegal occupation".
In a report, China's state-run Xinhua news agency said: "The so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh' was established largely on the three areas of China's Tibet - Monyul, Loyul and Lower Tsayul - currently under Indian illegal occupation."
"These three areas, located between the illegal 'McMahon Line' and the traditional customary boundary between China and India, have always been Chinese territory,' the report added.
Last Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said: "China's position on the disputed area of the eastern section of the China-India boundary is consistent and clear-cut."
It further said: "We hope India can work with China to protect the overall relationship, preserve peace and tranquillity on the border."
Beijing had also objected to President Pranab Mukherjee saying last Saturday that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and important part of India.
Mukherjee, who was addressing the Arunachal Pradesh State Assembly in Itanagar, said that the Centre and the state government should build the infrastructure linkages and connectivity with the rest of India, and appealed to the people of Arunachal to extend their assistance to this venture.
He further asserted that the development of border areas in Arunachal Pradesh is extremely important since it has common borders with three countries, and added that it must receive utmost attention.
He also said that the northeast of India has the potential to become an important investment destination, and a trade and business centre, owing to immense natural resources, and human resource quality.
Prasad also said the NDA is unanimous in its rejection and opposition to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's recent description of Kashmir being a flashpoint that could result in a fourth war between India and Pakistan.
In his brief address to the budget session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Council in Muzaffarabad, Sharif had reportedly expressed his resolve for early settlement of the Kashmir issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiris, warning that failure to resolve the dispute in a timely manner could lead to war.
"Kashmir is a flashpoint and can trigger a fourth war between the two nuclear powers at anytime," the Dawn quoted him, as saying.
The council, which is a product of AJK's Interim Constitution Act of 1974, has its secretariat in Islamabad. It was for the first time its session was held in Muzaffarabad, where its Rs14.98 billion budget for the current fiscal year was approved.
AJK President Sardar Yaqoob Khan, Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Birjees Tahir, Minister of State for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan, MNAs Tariq Fazal and Marvi Memon and five of the six elected AJK Council members attended the meeting.
Sharif said he had been vigorously highlighting the issue at the global level, and lately had presented the just stand of Kashmiri people at all international forums, including the United Nations General Assembly.
"We, the NDA, have decided to voice our strong protest and opposition to these remarks and designs (by these two countries) during the Winter Session of Parliament," Prasad said. (ANI)
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