Arunachal Pradesh will always remain part of India:  S Jaishankar to student

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has firmly rejected Chinese territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh, stating the northeastern state "is and will always be a part of India" during an interaction at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

The minister's remarks came in response to concerns raised by Tarh Haniya, a third-year civil engineering student and president of the Students' Association for the Development of India's North East Region at the institute, who highlighted the case of Prema Wangjom, a resident of West Kameng district.

Wangjom was detained for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai airport after Chinese authorities deemed her Indian passport "invalid", claiming Arunachal Pradesh was not recognised as Indian territory.

Haniya, who hails from Arung village in Papum Pare district, emphasised that such incidents were not isolated. He said similar cases involving Arunachal Pradesh residents had occurred previously, creating distress and uncertainty for Indian citizens travelling internationally.

Jaishankar dismissed the Chinese position, asserting that such tactics would not change ground realities. He stressed that international conventions govern cross-border travel and India expects all countries to respect these established norms.

The minister underscored that the Indian government maintains an unequivocal stance on the matter, noting the issue extends beyond bilateral rhetoric to fundamental principles of international law.