India can not part with an inch of land to any nation: Pranab

Shillong, Jun 16 (UNI) India can not give up any part of the country that regularly sends its elected representatives to the sovereign Parliament and state assemblies, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said today.

''Of late, there have been lots of noises. We have also been responding and the first response came from me,'' Mr Mukherjee told reporters, while answering questions on China's persisting claim on Arunachal Pradesh.

The Minister said New Delhi's position on Beijing's claim had been conveyed by him to his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechn.

''It is extremely difficult for any Indian Government adhering to the constitution and therefore these aspects have to be kept in view,'' Mr Mukherjee said.

Beijing claims 90,000 sq km of land in the eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders Bhutan and Tibet. India says China is occupying 38,000 sq km of its territory in Kashmir illegally ceded by Pakistan.

On the question of mortgaging of Indian tribal lands by a foreign company to foreign banks to funds its project in a foreign country the minister said, ''all tribal lands are protected under various constitutional laws and cannot be alienated.'' The question relates to ongoing controversy over the mortgaging of tribal lands in Meghalaya by the global cement company Lafarge to seven foreign banks in Europe, including the Asian Development Bank.

UNI