New Delhi, August 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has rejected allegations of Chinese intrusion into Indian territory raised by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, saying concerns over the India-China frontier in Arunachal Pradesh must be understood in the context of the region’s long-standing lack of formal boundary demarcation.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Rijiju said the India-China boundary in Arunachal Pradesh has not been formally delineated at several points and is not marked on the ground by a distinct line or border pillars.
“Such statements should not be made. There are issues in several places in Arunachal Pradesh; the root cause of these issues needs to be understood,” he said, adding that the lack of demarcation was not a recent development.
Rijiju acknowledged that villagers living in border areas have genuine concerns but cautioned against drawing conclusions from unverified videos and claims circulating online.
“There is indeed an issue regarding the border. Some villagers in Arunachal Pradesh have expressed concerns about the border, and rightly so, because the boundary has not been delineated there,” he said.
The minister also attributed part of the present situation to the historically slow development of infrastructure on India’s side of the frontier. He alleged that previous Congress-led governments had discouraged construction of roads and other infrastructure in sensitive border areas while China continued developing its side.
Rijiju cited a statement made by former Defence Minister A.K. Antony in Parliament, claiming that the policy under the then Congress government was not to build infrastructure on the Indian side.
He said the approach changed after the Narendra Modi-led NDA government came to power in 2014, with greater emphasis placed on roads and connectivity along the frontier.
Rijiju said he had personally visited Maza, which he described as the last border point, and claimed that road construction there had subsequently been completed. He also cited the construction of a road to Taksing in 2019 as an example of improved connectivity in remote border areas.
On allegations that China had occupied Indian villages, Rijiju said this was not the case, arguing that certain stretches remain disputed because the boundary has not been clearly demarcated.
He said Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) patrolling had been strengthened in sensitive areas. Referring to an area beyond Longju, he said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army had constructed structures there, with the land having been under Chinese control since 1959 and its hold further consolidated in 1962.
Rijiju acknowledged increased Chinese military activity along the ridgeline and said the concerns of local residents should be taken seriously.
“We have a post at the current border point. While there is no cross-border movement between India and China at that specific location, Chinese military activity has certainly increased along the ridgeline,” he said.
The minister also accused the Congress of using misleading material to build a political narrative around the border issue. He specifically criticised the circulation of what he described as a fake video purportedly originating from Bangladesh, saying such material could undermine the morale of the armed forces.
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