Rahul Gandhi Cites Report On Chinese Village in Arunachal, Kiren Rijiju Points Out Facts

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for his tweet where he was referring to a report which claimed that China was building a village inside the Indian territory of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Congress leader took to the Twitter and mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise "to not let the country bow down" in Hindi.

Meanwhile, reacting to the tweet, the Union Minister wrote, "Those locations you are referring to have been under Chinese occupation since very-very long Congress regime in India. How can a national leader be ignorant and unaware of sensitive facts?"

Earlier on January 18, satellite images surfaced on the social media claiming it to be new construction of a village on the banks of the River Tsari Chu, lies in the Upper Subansiri district.

The images went air by Planet Lab Inc.

According to reports, satellite images confirms a new village with around 101 homes on the banks of the River Tsari Chu which lies in the Upper Subansiri district.

Notably, the area which has been long disputed by India and China and has been marked by armed conflict and is located 1 km north of the existing Chinese military outpost.

The image also stated with a photo caption stating that the first satellite image was taken on August 26, 2019- does not show any construction activity, however, the latest image that establishes the village in question is dated November 1, 2020.

Meanwhile, In December 2020, China constructed at least three villages about five kilometres from the Bum La pass close to the tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan in Arunachal Pradesh.

However the Twitter battle didn't seem to end here as later following the tweet of Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote, "Amazed to hear the defence coming from senior ministers saying territory occupied by China for years so does that absolve this GoI from any accountability for new construction? So is it then okay to have new construction in disputed areas? Is that GoI's official stance?"

"Also, history has recorded the past hits and misses of previous governments also BJP has used it enough for own political gains. Lal lal aankh was the commitment made to the people, reality, however, seems to be otherwise, " the MP added.

Further, the Shiv Sena MP wrote, "Rijiju's tweet suggest that government of India (GoI) stand is that if our territory is illegally occupied by China due to past government failures it is okay for them to now have new construction & claim it as theirs?"

It is to be mentioned that India and China have been embroiled in a border dispute, which covers the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with Twenty Indian soldiers martyred in the Galwan Valley clash.

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