'Chinese leader's arrival date objectionable'

New Delhi, Nov 18: BJP President Rajnath Singh today felt that the date chosen for arrival of Chinese President Hu Jintao in India should have been different because his arrival date coincided with the 'most shameful' day in India's history.

Making his observations, Mr Singh said it was on November 20 in 1962, the Chinese had unilaterally withdrawn their forces from the McMahon line and, therefore, a different date should have been for the Chinese leader's arrival in India.

''Mr Hu's arrival date reminds us of our shameful day and the government should have chosen some other day,'' he said in the presence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Leader of Opposition L K Advani at a book release function of ''Samadhan'' published in English and Hindi by Shayama Prasad Mukherjee Trust.

Praising Mr Vajpayee for his astute diplomatic skills, Mr Singh said it was under his NDA regime, the Chinese had chosen to recognise Sikkim as a state of India and the credit of this 'diplomatic victory' should entirely go to him.

UNI

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