Congress seeks Modi's apology over map ceding territory to China - India Today

PM Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping during signing of agreements in Ahmedabad. The Congress on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise over a map released by the Gujarat government that erroneously showed Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir as disputed territories and indicated Aksai Chin as a part of China.

Additional Chief Secretary D. Pandian of the Gujarat government had distributed copies of the map of Guandong province on September 17 in Ahmedabad when the state government signed three MoUs with the Chinese province in the presence of Modi and visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During the event, a map was released by the Gujarat government, showing Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir as disputed territories and Aksai Chin as part of China. "This is unacceptable for the sovereignty, ethos and foreign policy of the country. We demand that the Prime Minister must make a proper statement on the issue and unequivocally and firmly write to the Chinese President a strong worded letter, which should be made public," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

"Now the question arises whether this particular map has been shown in the MoU too. Modi during his election campaign in Arunachal Pradesh made a rhetorical speech and promised he will not allow the country to bow before anybody and will not allow even an inch of the country's land to be taken away," he said.

He said the erroneous map was issued by the Gujarat government during the visit of Xi, which was marked by incursions by the Chinese army.

Describing the incursions, intrusions and infiltration by China into Indian territory as brazen and blatant, Singhvi accused the government of treating a very serious issue lightly.

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