NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday took to Twitter to refute reports that there had been a Chinese army incursion into Arunachal Pradesh.
“The news of Chinese PLA (People’s Liberation Army) incursion inside Arunachal Pradesh is not correct,” Rijiju wrote.
Rijiju was responding to reports that more than 40 troops of the PLA had travelled 45 km beyond the Line of Actual Control into a remote area of Arunanchal Pradesh – called ‘Plum post’ – and built shelters to stake their claim on the territory.
Official sources on Monday said a joint patrol of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Army had detected the troops on September 9, according to a PTI report. After a required banner drill, the Chinese troops had been unwilling to leave, and had claimed that the territory was theirs, the sources explained.
Chinese troops had been trying to enter the ‘Plum post’ at least two to three times every year, but this was the first time that they’d actually done so, the sources said. The two sides would meet on October 1 to put an end to these recurrent incursion attempts, they added.
Sukhoi jet manoeuvres
Rijiju in his tweet also said he’d witnessed Sukhoi jet manoeuvres at the Indian Air Force’s station in Tezpur, Assam. He tweeted a short video of the Sukhoi’s flight – in which the sleek fighter can be seen gliding majetically across a cloudy sky, banking and pirouetting impressively.
Witnessed Sukhoi Aircraft manoeuvres at Tezpur Airforce Station. The news of Chinese PLA incursion inside Arunachal… https://t.co/o55KWHojqV
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) 1475000533000
In May, Kiren Rijiju had undertaken a sortie on board the frontline attack aircraft Sukhoi-30 MKI. Rijiju has become the third MoS in the NDA government to fly in the twin-seat air superiority fighter after Rajiv Pratap Rudy (skill development) and Rao Inderjit Singh (defence) did it last year. Former Presidents like APJ Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil also flew in the fighter in 2006 and 2009, respectively.
News Source: Times of India
