China has not intruded even an inch into our territory: GoI in Parliament

New Delhi: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday dismissed opposition claims that China has made fresh intrusions into Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh, asserting in the Lok Sabha that not “even an inch” of land has been lost since the 1962 war.

Speaking during a debate on Operation Sindoor, Rijiju responded to Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, who alleged that China had entered and occupied areas in Arunachal Pradesh.

“Since 1962, China has not intruded even an inch into our territory nor occupied any additional land,” Rijiju said. “The area China currently holds in Arunachal was already under its control either before or during the 1962 war.”

Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, said he felt compelled to clarify the facts after Yadav made the claim during his speech. He added that the boundary between India and China in many places remains undemarcated, and that patrolling by both sides in overlapping zones should not be mistaken for territorial gain or encroachment.

“In such zones, markings or presence do not amount to occupation. Our armed forces remain vigilant and no permanent structure by China has come up in any new area since 1962,” Rijiju noted.

The minister also cautioned against politicising issues of national security and urged opposition members to avoid spreading misinformation. “Making such statements in Parliament without verifying facts does injustice to the people of border regions and our forces,” he said.

The statement came amid an ongoing debate on Operation Sindoor, India’s cross-border military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The discussion in Lok Sabha was led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, with other senior ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expected to speak later in the week.

The Opposition had initially demanded an immediate debate on Chinese transgressions and the Pahalgam attack but later agreed to a scheduled discussion as per parliamentary procedure.