India Slams China's Naming Gimmick, Says 'Arunachal Pradesh Integral to India'

China Renames Places in Arunachal Pradesh: China recently changed the names of locations in Arunachal Pradesh on its own for the fourth time; Chief Minister Pema Khandu called this "another gimmick."

Chief Minister's Condemnation

“Being a proud citizen of Bharat and a native of Arunachal Pradesh, I strongly condemn this act of naming places within Arunachal Pradesh which has been an inalienable integral part of India. Proud citizens and patriots of Arunachal Pradesh are rejecting such antics," he said.

A report claims that China has renamed eleven residential zones, twelve mountains, four rivers, one lake, one mountain pass, and a plot of land. The fourth list of conventional geographical names in Zangnan, the Chinese name for Arunachal Pradesh, was produced by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in China.

Ministry of External Affairs Rebukes China

"China has persisted with its senseless attempts to rename places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh," stated in a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs on April 2. "We firmly reject such attempts. Assigning invented names will not alter the reality that Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India.”

Dismissing China’s claims, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, “changing names does not have any effect”. “Mai apke ghar ka naam badal dun to mera ghar ban jayega kya? (If today I change the name of your house, will it become mine),” he said. The Indian Army is stationed at the Line of Actual Control, Jaishankar continued.