Date:09/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/09/stories/2008020960481200.htm

National

Arunachal an integral part of India: Pranab

Mumbai: Reacting sharply to China’s protest against Manmohan Singh’s recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh and his observations there, India on Friday made it clear that the Prime Minister could go to any part of the country and the northeast State was its integral part.

“Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of our country and the Prime Minister can visit any part of the country,” External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on the sidelines of a private function here.

Dr. Manmohan Singh, during his visit to Itanagar last week, said that Arunachal Pradesh was “our land of rising sun.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry informally conveyed its protest over Dr. Singh’s visit and his comments to the Indian Embassy in Beijing earlier this week. — PTI