Advani objects to govt thwarting discussion on Arunachal

New Delhi, Nov 23 (UNI) Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani today lashed out at the UPA government for thwarting his attempt to raise the Arunachal Pradesh issue in the House even though the Business Advisory Committee permitted the matter to be raised after Question Hour.

Talking to newspersons, Mr Advani said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi had approached him late last night after the BAC cleared the raising of the issue for today, saying it would not be proper to have such a discussion when Chinese President Hu Jintao was still in the country.

The former Deputy Prime Minister accepted the suggestion provided the government agreed to pass a unanimous resolution in both Houses of Parliament, reiterating that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.

Mr Dasmunsi promised to get back to him after having discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but he never contacted him again.

He said he failed to comprehend the hitch on part of the Indian Government to pass such a resolution after the Chinese Ambassador claimed the whole of Arunachal Pradesh belonged to the East Asian Republic.

Mr Advani said during his yesterday's meeting with Mr Hu he wondered how the diplomat could raise such an issue ahead of the visit of the President of his country. ''But I will not give out the comments of the Chinese President,'' he said.

Mr Advani said during his meeting with Mr Hu he appreciated the Chinese attitude towards resolving the outstanding issues between the two countries.

Mr Advani said India's position had been convincingly expressed by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the discussions that followed after the Chinese aggression and withdrawal in 1962. The British considered NEFA as their frontier to the Mac Mohan Line that separated Tibet from China but they did not have full-fledge apparatus there. After Independence, India not only tried to introduce administration but also administered schools, hospitals and roads also, and this was interpreted by China as India occupying those portions.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh, who was a uniformed officer in NEFA during the Chinese invasion, said there was no dispute between India and China over Arunachal Pradesh. The dispute was actually where the Mac Mohan Line lie and its watershed on the ground. There is already a unanimous and categorical resolution passed on November 8, 1962 in Parliament, he added.

BJP Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj said the Left parties did not want the issue to be raised at any cost when the Chinese President was in India and they ensured and manipulated both Houses, and the result was there for everyone to see.

She said, ''We are not talking about an issue of protocol, but the resolution should be passed to convey Indian public sentiments to China.'' Both Members of Parliament from Arunachal Pradesh -- Mr Tapir Gaon and Mr Rijiju Kihren -- both of the BJP, said it was sad that Parliament was hesitating to pass a resolution, reiterating Indian position at a time when China was staking claim to 90,000 sq km of Indian territory. It was not about Arunachal only, but much beyond, they said.

''I wonder what would have happened if this were to happen to Uttar Pradesh or Haryana,'' the two MPs said.

UNI MCN/KAS RL BD128