Chinese objection to PM's visit a non-issue: Cong

The ruling Congress in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday said many prime ministers of the country had visited the border state, and the Chinese objection to the recent one by Manmohan Singh, was a non-issue.

"Jawaharlal Nehru visited the state, then known as North Eastern Frontier Agency as early as 1955. Therefore the Chinese objection to the visit of Manmohan Singh is a non-issue," Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Nabam Tuki said.

Indira Gandhi during her first visit in 1972 accorded union territory status after renaming it as Arunachal and came here again in 1984 to lay the foundation of Arunachal University.

Rajiv Gandhi visited Arunachal in 1987 to accord statehood, he said.

"Former prime ministers H D Deve Gowda came here in 1996 while L K Advani came here as deputy prime minister during the National Democratic Alliance rule in 2003," he said.

"Why is the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman objecting to Singh's visit now? This is a non-issue now and an immature move to raise objections on election-day to confuse voters," Tuki said.

"Arunachalees are by birth Indians and are happy with the all out support of consecutive Central governments, which provided essential services, communication facilities infrastructure and social security," the APCC president said.

To register a protest against the Chinese objection, Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and three Members of Parliament would call on the prime minister and Central leaders in New Delhi soon to request them to continue visiting the state to give a new thrust to the development process.