Guwahati: In an apparent jibe at China, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said in Arunachal Pradesh that nobody can take even an inch of India.
Shah’s comment came days after China renamed the names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh and claimed the frontier state as part of its territory.
The Home Minister launched the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ from Kibithoo, the border village of Arunachal Pradesh and India’s easternmost place.
“Before 2014, the entire Northeast region was known as a disturbed area but in the last 9 years, because of PM Modi’s ‘Look East’ policy, Northeast is now considered an area which contributes to the development of the country,” Shah said.
Praising the army and border police, he said, “The entire country can sleep peacefully in their homes today because our ITBP jawans and army is working day & night on our borders. Today, we can proudly say that no one has the power to cast an evil eye on us.”
Last week, China “renamed” some places in Arunachal Pradesh that it claims as part of its territory.
India has always maintained that Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable part of the country, and China giving its own inventive names will not change the ground reality.
The United States also strongly opposed China’s attempts to advance a claim over Arunachal Pradesh by renaming localities.