Arunachal is inalienable part of India: Pranab

New Delhi, Nov 24 (UNI) External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today made it clear in the Lok Sabha that Arunachal Pradesh was an integral part of India and this status was ''not debatable.'' Mr Mukherjee's clarification came after the opposition had raised the issue in both Houses during zero hour today, taking the government to task for remaining silent on Chinese Ambassador Sun Yuxi's remark.

The Chinese envoy had claimed, ahead of President Hu Jintao's visit to India earlier this week, that whole of Arunachal Pradesh belonged to China.

The Rajya Sabha had to be adjourned twice, first for an early lunch break in the middle of zero hour after slogan shouting BJP members had trooped into the well. It was adjourned again for 30 minutes shortly after the House had assembled after lunch.

Mr Mukherjee appealed to the opposition in the Lok Sabha not to ''unnecessarily heighten tension'' and instead allow the India-China dialogue process to continue.

Rejecting the demand of Leader of Opposition L K Advani's demand for a Parliament resolution declaring Arunachal Pradesh as an inalienable part of India, Mr Mukherjee said this was not necessary as the House had, as far back in 1962, adopted a resolution on the issue.

This continued to remain the position of Parliament and the successive governments and there was no change in this, the Minister said.

The External Affairs Minister was replying to a over one-hour debate on the issue during zero hour after Mr Advani had criticised the government's silence.

Mr Advani said the envoy's claim was most unfortunate as it was timed ahead of President Hu's visit.

Mr Mukherjee said this was not the first time such a thing had happened before the visit of dignitaries to each other's country. On June 26, 2003, when the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was visiting China from June 22-27, there was a Chinese transgression on the Actual Line of Control, in Asafila in the Upper Subansiri area.

The issue of transgression was raised in the July 2003 monsoon session of Parliament following which the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said India had taken up the issue with the Chinese side and that this was an area where there was a difference in the perceptions of the two sides, Mr Mukherjee said.

At the same time, the Chinese spokesman said the aggression was from the Indian side, he said.

Responding to the sentiments of MPs that India should have lodged a formal protest with China, Mr Mukherjee said he had made it very clear, just a day after the Chinese envoy's claim had appeared in the press, that Arunachal Pradesh was an integral part of India.

''When the highest person in the External Affairs Ministry himself is rebutting'' the claim there was no need for a formal protest. Nevertheless, the Indian Ambassador to China had drawn the attention of the Chinese authorities and pointed out that such a statement should not have come from the Chinese envoy.

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Jaswant Singh accused the government of keeping the country's foreign policy and territorial integrity ''mortgaged'' to the CPM which was yet to condemn even the Chinese aggression in 1962.

''Let them (CPM) state clearly and unambiguously that People's Republic of China is the aggressor,'' he said.

Mr Jaswant Singh said the CPI(M) was remote controlling the foreign policies of the government.

''Total compromise with India's territorial integrity is not, and cannot be, a good policy. At least important foreign policy issues, that judge the territorial integrity of the nation, cannot be decided by proxy'' he remarked.

In the Lower House, Mr Mukherjee said whatever the NDA government had begun on the China front, the UPA government was carrying forward, whether it was relating to Sikkim or other areas which were under dispute, he said.

China recognised ... picking up from para 3 of PAR14, EXTERNAL-ARUNACHAL-PRANAB THREE LS.

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