• Source:JND
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India has raised strong objections to the treatment of Arunachal Pradesh resident Prema Wangjom Thongdok, who was stopped and questioned by immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport earlier this month. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday said that actions of this nature only strain bilateral relations at a time when efforts are being made to stabilise ties.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Chinese officials at the airport allegedly mocked Prema’s nationality and refused to accept her Indian visa. He stated that such behaviour “does not help the process of normalising ties”. The ministry noted that both countries had worked together after October 2024 to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border and India has repeatedly stressed that the relationship can progress only if the border remains calm.

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Prema, who works with the ACA Group in the UK, was travelling to Japan via Shanghai when she faced the incident. She later said, “They called my Indian passport invalid as my birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh which they claimed is Chinese territory.” She demanded action against the officials and urged that the matter be taken up at global platforms. She also described her experience on social media, drawing attention to the ordeal.

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Following her complaint, Indian officials lodged a strong demarche with China on Monday, clearly reiterating that Arunachal Pradesh is an “indisputably” Indian territory. The MEA said the detention was arbitrary and unacceptable. Jaiswal added, “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact. No amount of denial by the Chinese side is going to change this indisputable reality.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has denied wrongdoing, saying the actions taken were as per regulations while repeating China’s territorial claim over Arunachal Pradesh. India has dismissed these statements and maintained that the State is and will remain an essential part of the country.

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