New Delhi, Oct 13: India on Tuesday rejected China’s objection to its decision to assign standard names to 28 places and geographical features in Ladakh, asserting that the Union Territory is an integral and inalienable part of the country.
Responding to media queries on remarks by the Chinese side, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal as per Kashmir Convener said, “It is reiterated that the UT of Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India. No amount of denial by the Chinese side can change this established fact.”
The reaction came after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced standard names for 28 places in Ladakh, including locations in disputed border areas and areas under China’s actual control, and their inclusion on official maps.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing had never recognised the so-called Union Territory of Ladakh, alleging that India had established it unilaterally and illegally. She said China firmly opposed India’s naming of the places.
The move is illegal and invalid and cannot change the fact that the relevant areas in the western sector of the China-India boundary have always belonged to China, Mao said.
Jaiswal said the MHA’s press release was self-explanatory, explaining that the 28 places and geographical features were assigned standard names on the official Survey of India map.
The names, he said, were identified in consultation with the Union Territory of Ladakh and local stakeholders. The exercise, according to the MEA, was aimed at facilitating accurate recognition of these locations and improving public awareness.
The MEA maintained that no denial by China could alter India’s stand on the Union Territory.
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