Rahul Gandhi Demands For PM Modi’s Statement On China Map Row

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, asked today that Prime Minister Narendra Modi issue a statement in response to China’s publication of a map that asserts possession over Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, which India has emphatically rejected.

China published a new “standard” map of its territory on Monday, showing Aksai Chin, which it annexed during the 1962 war, and Arunachal Pradesh, which it regards as South Tibet. Additionally, as in earlier iterations, the map depicts China as encompassing the entirety of the South China Sea.

Rahul Gandhi: “The entire Ladakh knows that…”

“I have been saying for years that what the PM said, that not one inch of land was lost in Ladakh, is a lie. The entire Ladakh knows that China has transgressed. This map issue is very serious. They have taken away the land. PM should say something about it,” Rahul Gandhi said while leaving for Karnataka.

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Meaningless map from China

In an interview, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar claimed that the map was meaningless and that China releases such maps on a regular basis.

“China has put out maps with territories (that are) not theirs. (It is an) old habit. Just by putting out maps with parts of India… this doesn’t change in anything. Our government is very clear about what our territory. Making absurd claims does not make other people’s territories yours,” Mr Jaishankar told media. India has started diplomatic complaints against the “standard” map.

“We reject the claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.