China map controversy: Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin are part of India, says Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday took strong objection to the inclusion of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin in China's map and asserted that these are inalienable parts of India which no such illegal representation or arbitrarily invented map by the "habitual offender" can change.

The party also urged the government to use the upcoming G20 Summit to expose China's transgressions into Indian territory at the global stage.

The Congress' reaction came a day after China officially released the 2023 edition of its "standard map" incorporating Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin region, Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea.

Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said Indian territories including Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin are indistinguishable and inalienable part of India and "no arbitrarily invented Chinese map can change that".

In a post on X, he 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." Another Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Manish Tewari also said China's claims on Arunachal Pradesh are "absurd, illogical and historically incorrect" and urged the government to introspect and reclaim Indian territories occupied by China during recent transgressions.

"A short history of the India-China Border issue - China's claims on Arunachal Pradesh are absurd, illogical and historically incorrect. China has no claim on Arunachal Pradesh," he said on X.

"Outstanding issue between India and China is vacation of illegal territory occupied since April 2020." He also called upon the government to reclaim the 2000 sq km of territory illegally occupied by China.

"The Modi government must introspect on whether to accord importance to Xi Jinping in Delhi, as he is in illegal occupation of Indian territory," he noted.

Kharge said "we want a peaceful coexistence with our neighbours, including China and want peace and tranquillity at the LAC." "It is, however, painful to note that China's deception and belligerence continues, post Galwan, in the wake of PM Modi giving them a free pass, by saying 'no one entered our territory', after 20 of our brave soldiers were martyred," the Congress chief said.

He asserted that the status quo ante before May 2020 should be of utmost importance, and the government must not budge from anything less than its restoration.

"We hope that the G20 Summit in India, will be another opportunity for us to expose the issue of China's transgressions into Indian territory at the global stage.

"Modi Government must ensure that the illegal Chinese occupation of 2000 square kilometres of Indian territory along the LAC must end," he said.

India has repeatedly said that the state of Arunachal Pradesh has "always been" and will "always be" an integral part of the country.

"The 2023 edition of China's standard map was officially released on Monday and launched on the website of the standard map service hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources," state-run Global Times said in a post on X.

"This map is compiled based on the drawing method of the national boundaries of China and various countries in the world,” the post said.

Inputs from PTI