'Army safeguarding territory': Arunachal CM Pema Khandu rejects Chinese encroachment
Arunachal Pradesh's chief minister, Pema Khandu, dismissed claims of Chinese military occupation in the state, stating that the Indian Army is actively patrolling and protecting the territory. This statement came a day after the central government officially named 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh according to their official map names, in response to China's persistent attempts to rename places in the border region.
The government emphasized that this exercise aims to ensure accurate identification of locations and enhance public awareness of their historical and geographical significance. India has consistently rejected China's practice of assigning Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh, labeling it as "vain and preposterous." Several of the newly named locations are of strategic importance due to their proximity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and their role in past India-China military conflicts.
The official map includes key sites such as Long Ju, Maja village, Bisa village, Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La, Thag La, Jairampur, and several others. India has consistently warned that such renaming attempts aim to create "baseless narratives" and could jeopardize efforts to improve bilateral relations with China.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
