New Delhi: The echoes of controversial statement made by Chinese Ambassador Sun Yuxi to CNN-IBN a few weeks ago continued to be heard in Parliament on Wednesday.
Lok Sabha witnessed a spat between Leader of Opposition L K Advani and Exetrnal Affair Minister Pranab Mukherjee over the Arunachal boundary issue after the Mukherjee said discussions on the problem were underway and there will be "some adjustments".
Advani wanted a reassurance from the Government that Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable part of India and demanded that the Sun Yuxi be summoned by the External Affairs Ministry and told that Government has taken serious exception to his two statements.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, he reiterated the gravity of Chinese Ambassador’s statement about Arunchal Pradesh being a part of China.
However, Mukherjee said there was no need to get "too excited" on these issues and the institutional arrangements should be allowed to do their work.
"If it becomes the condition that it (any State) has been declared as an integral part of the country, then it is not negotiable ...then there is no point in having discussions on Jammu and Kashmir because this House has passed a resolution declaring it as the integral part of India," he argued.
When Mukherjee referred to the J&K issue, Advani said he had brought to the fore an issue which was "more touchy". “If the Pakistan envoy here said that Jammu and Kashmir is negotiable, would people not react?” he asked.
He also said he had clarified the Government position soon after Sun's remarks and made it clear that Arunachal Pradesh is an "integral part" of India and this question was "not debatable".
"Border is on the land and not in the sky -- when you finally arrive at conclusions, some adjustments will take place here and there," he said.
Mukherjee said the Lok Sabha had passed a resolution that Arunachal Pradesh was an integral part of India.
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He said knowing this fully, the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee - during his visit to China in 2003 - had appointed Special Representatives to discuss the boundary question.
Mukherjee said China has from time to time raised the Arunachal issue. Even during Vajpayee's 2003 visit, the issue was raised by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson. Beijing, he said, has never accepted the Mcmohan Line demarcating Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet.
The debate continued and Advani observing that people in Arunachal Pradesh were "extremely distressed", said Government should give a categorical assurance in the House.
Tapir Rao and Khiren Rijiju, BJP members from Arunachal, said the minister's response was not satisfactory. Which part of the State is being negotiated ? they asked.
Amidst protests by the two members, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee sternly told Rijiju that he was deliberately defying the Chair and warned him that it could amount to breach of privilege.
Advani, joined by several BJP members, said Mukherjee had clearly suggested that Arunachal Pradesh is negotiable.
"You are putting words into my mouth," shot back Mukherjee.
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said all sections of the House have stated that Arunachal is not negotiable.
(With inputs from PTI)
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