Mr. Singh was addressing a rally in Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday took a tough stance on China’s “renaming” of some places in Arunachal Pradesh, raising a big question for Beijing. Singh asked neighboring countries whether if India renamed some places in China, it would become ours.

With less than two weeks to go until the state polls for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the Defense Minister, while addressing a rally in Nansai constituency in Arunachal East, said the BJP-led government has taken steps to develop infrastructure as well as along the borders. village.

“This is our home. Recently, China ‘renamed’ three places in Arunachal Pradesh and posted them on its website. I want to tell our neighbors that changing the names will have no effect. Tomorrow , if we change the names of some places or countries in China, does that make them ours? China should not make this mistake,” Mr. Singh said in Hindi.

“I think such moves harm relations between India and China. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee once said that one can change one’s friends but one cannot change one’s neighbours. India wants to maintain good relations with all its neighbours. , but if anyone tries to hurt our self-esteem, India today has the ability to fight back,” he roared.

Taking a jibe at the Congress party, the defense minister said large tracts of land had been ceded before the BJP-led government came to power at the Centre. Talking about the infrastructural development in the region, Singh said this is a testament to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concern for the Northeast.

Public meeting held in Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh East constituency.
https://t.co/HWHnvH8KAP

— Rajnath Singh (Modi’s family) (@rajnathsingh) April 9, 2024

“I assure you that no one can take Indian land now. We have corrected the mistakes of the Congress party and developed border infrastructure. The Congress party used to call the villages near the border the last villages but we say They are the first villages in the country. We are developing villages at a rapid pace and we believe that until the border villages are developed we will not be able to protect the border to the extent that we want to.”

“Not only are these villages of great strategic importance but the people living in Arunachal Pradesh are also our strategic assets. That is why all of us have special love and respect for you. Every time there is a war with China, this role The playing you all played will never be forgotten,” he added.

India has refused to “rename” places in Arunachal Pradesh, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju telling New Delhi TV last week that India was no longer the country it was in 1962 and would defend every one of it. An inch of territory.

Arunachal Pradesh will hold Lok Sabha polls and assembly elections on April 19. The parliamentary vote will be counted on June 2 and the general election will be held on June 4.