NEW DELHI: India on Friday strongly rebutted China’s stand that its giving stapled visa to Arunachal Pradesh residents was a “goodwill gesture” and said that all Indian nationals as should be treated equally. On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that stapled visa was a “gesture out of goodwill” as it will allow the residents of Arunachal Pradesh to travel to the country.
When asked for India’s response on Friday, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said: “It is our duty as government to impress on all concerned that there should be no discrimination against visa applicants of Indian nationality on grounds of domicile or ethnicity.” “After all we are one people,” she said.