Arunachal an integral part of India: Rahul Gandhi
Ranchi | Thursday, Oct 15 2009 IST
 

The verbal duel with China over Arunachal Pradesh echoed in distant Jharkhand with Gandhi scion Rahul today asserting that the eastern-most state was an integral part of India.

''Arunachal Pradesh is very much an integral part of India, like any other state of the country,'' the AICC General Secretary and MP told newspersons here.

Asked if he meant that China had no business in the country's internal affairs, he quipped, ''You (scribes) can draw many conclusions on the subject.

''But I assert that Arunachal Pradesh is a part of our country and the Congress and its youth wing do not see it differently from the rest of the country,'' he averred.

Mr Gandhi said this when reporters sought his reaction regarding China's ''protest'' against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh recently.

Asked to comment on the future of Congress among the youths in Arunachal under such ''adverse reaction'' from a neighbouring country, he said, ''Mine, as well as the Youth Congress's attitude is the same towards that state as it is to other states like Jharkhand or Andhra Pradesh.'' On Naxalism he said its rise was a threat to the country's internal security.

Admitting that it was due to the failure of the state governments to ''hear the problems of the people'', he said governments in Naxal-dominated states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand had failed to reach out to people leading to frustration among the deprived lot.

Incidentally Jharkhand is under President's rule.

He hoped that the youths ''carefully handpicked from among the masses'' would be a great asset for the Congress which believed in development of the country on all fronts. ''Since the time of assassination of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, the problem of violence has increased manifold as it is aided by sophisticated weapons and India is not the only country facing this menace. It haunts the entire world,'' the AICC General Secretary said.

The scale of violence had gone up and with sophisticated weapons being used nowadays, the impact of the loss was also bigger, he stated.

He, however, hastended to add that overall law and order situation across India was good, but for ''certain pockets''.

Mr Gandhi's two-day visit to Jharkhand would be in tandem with the ongoing membership drive of the Indian Youth Congress. It would include potential candidates' meet at five places, two ST conventions, one SC convention, young women's convention, besides Pradesh Congress Committee meeting.

He is scheduled to leave for Delhi today.

-- (UNI) -- 15CA24.xml

 

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