Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said border areas, neglected for decades, are now a “top priority” for the Narendra Modi government, as he pushed back against claims of fresh Chinese incursions into Arunachal Pradesh.
Rijiju, who represents Arunachal West in the Lok Sabha, said the government was focused on accelerating infrastructure development in remote border areas. His remarks came amid renewed concerns over alleged Chinese military activity in the Upper Subansiri region.
"Some people casually commented on border. Border areas are tough but @narendramodi govt is committed to border development. I went to Maza, Galemo, Taksing areas in Arunachal Pradesh to speed up infrastructure works. Borders were neglected in the past but it's top priority now," Rijiju said in a post on X.
He also attacked the Congress over its past approach to border infrastructure, citing former defence minister A K Antony's 2013 remarks in Parliament.
"Amongst the Congress leaders, A.K. Anthony Ji is very honest. As Defence Minister he admitted the Congress Govt's policy of not making border infrastructure on the floor of the Parliament," Rijiju said.
Antony, speaking in the Lok Sabha on September 6, 2013, had acknowledged that China had developed significantly better infrastructure along the border. He had attributed India's lag to a policy followed for years after Independence.
"The independent India had a policy for many years that the best defence is not to develop the border. Undeveloped borders are safer than developed borders. So, for many years, there was no construction of roads or air fields on the border areas."
"By that time, China continued to develop their infrastructure in the border areas. So, as a result, they have now gone ahead of us. Compared to us, infrastructure-wise, capability-wise in the border areas, they are ahead. I admit that. It is a part of history," Antony had said.
Antony, however, had also stressed that successive governments had changed the policy well before the UPA came to power.
"But, of late, in the last 20-25 years, the Indian governments also realised the mistake and changed its policy. Now, we are also strengthening our capabilities in the border areas...I can tell you, without any exaggeration, that only during the last nine years, as the UPA Government, we have done the maximum to strengthen the capabilities in the border areas. In times of UPA-I & UPA-II, it is being done. And may be the future governments also will continue the same thing, whoever comes, they will continue the same thing," Antony had said.
On Wednesday, Rijiju rejected claims that Chinese troops had penetrated up to 60 km inside Arunachal Pradesh, while acknowledging concerns raised by local residents.
"India-China Border issue is a serious subject. Do not make false claim on such sensitive matter. We don't want to repeat the past mistakes. Govt will address the concern of the local people and protect Indian Territory," Rijiju wrote on X.
The Ministry of External Affairs has also stressed the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
"In matters relating to the border areas between India and China, we have always emphasised in discussions with the Chinese side that we consider these issues as most serious," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said on August 11.
"We have also stated that the state of the border affairs will reflect on the state of our larger bilateral ties," he said, adding that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas was of "utmost importance".
(With inputs from PTI)
