AAPSU burn effigies of Chinese Premier

Itanagar, Jan 13 (PTI) The issuance of stapled visas totwo Arunachalees by Chinese embassy in New Delhi has sparkedstrong protest in Arunachal Pradesh capital today with AllArunachal Pradesh Students� Union (AAPSU) burning effigies ofChinese Premier Hu Jintao bringing traffic to a standstill.

Hundreds of AAPSU activists holding anti-China placardsstalled traffic movement for a few hours at Bank Tinali, thenerve center of the state capital.

Indian Weightlifting Federation�s (IWF) joint secretaryAbraham K. Techi along with weightlifter Yukar Sibi both fromArunachal were taken aback when immigration officials at NewDelhi�s IGI Airport stopped them yesterday and turned the twomen away because of the stapled visas.

The duo was to leave for Beijing at the invitation ofChinese Weightlifting Association president Menguang on behalfof China Weightlifting Grand Prix to be held at Fujianprovince during January 15 to 17.

Blaming the Centre as well as the state government for nottaking the issue seriously, AAPSU president Takam Tatung whiletalking to media alleged that Arunachal was suffering becauseof India�s "faulty foreign policy."

"The Prime Minister and the External Affair Minister areanswerable to the people of the state for the continuoushumiliation suffered by Arunachal. We are Indians and Centremust come with a clear-cut policy on Arunachal," he added.

The apex students� body in protest against repeated claimsby China over state�s territory launched democratic protest atthe Chinese embassy in Delhi during 2009 and burnt Jintao�seffigy here last year.

"We are going to submit memorandums to the President andPrime Minister of India soon requesting them to understand thesentiments of the people of Arunachal and to initiate propermeasures with China," Tatung disclosed.

"When our people are getting stapled visas, the Centreshould initiate similar measures for the citizens of Tibet whoare staying in India as refugees," Tatung said and urged theCentre to take up the Tibet issue seriously as befitting replyto China.

Meanwhile, taking strong exception to the Chinese ploy ofissuing stapled visas to two Arunachalees, former Lok Sabhamember and newly appointed BJP national general secretaryTapir Gao today urged the Indian government to reciprocate thesame by issuing stapled visas to Chinese nationals visitingIndia.