BJP regrets PM's silence over Chinese claims

The Bharatiya Janata Party in Arunachal Pradesh has expressed concern over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's "silence", regarding repeated intrusions by China in Arunachal territory.

Addressing a public meeting in Itanagar on Thursday evening, party members said, "Dr Singh, during his maiden visit to the state, soon after his visit to Beijing, was expected to give firm assurance of the Centre's commitment that every inch of Arunachal Pradesh would be protected at any cost. This had brought confidence in the minds of the people. However, it was shocking to hear no mention of it in his public address."

Regretting that the party had been denied appointment with the Indian premier, the BJP said that notwithstanding any party barriers, the people of the state anonymously felt that the PM's initiatives in changing India's approach towards Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China, needed a serious thrust.

"It is in New Delhi's strategic interest," their communique stated.

While submitting a seven-point memorandum, the party urged Dr Singh to convince his Chinese counterpart to respect the bilateral agreement between both the two Asian nations signed in 2003 and maintain the status quo in the areas of both sides of the McMahon Line.

"A firm assurance reiterating that not a single inch of Arunachal land will be compromised and the same shall be adopted in a resolution in the ensuing Budget session of the Parliament," the memorandum added.

The memorandum further demanded that the lackadaisical approach of the Centre to isolate border areas must be changed and declared that the network of roads, telecommunication and other important infrastructural services needed urgent development to match up with the neighbouring country's level in order to meet the frequencies and in case of any eventualities.

The elements of insurgency, terrorism, arms trafficking, unabated circulations of fake currencies, narcotics smuggling and large scale influx of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to the region were taking place due to lack of proper border management system, the memorandum further stated.

The memo further went on to urge the Centre to release a one-time special support grant against all the incomplete or ongoing Centrally-sponsored schemes during the current fiscal for their time-bound completion, special budgetary provisions for infrastructural development of Arunachal Pradesh to be incorporated in the 11th Five Year Plan and sanction of immediate CBI inquiry and investigations in the multi-crore scam and corruption in the Public Distribution System sector.

The memo also alleged nexus of the senior state political leaders with insurgents.