India hits back at China's protest over PM Modi's Arunachal visit

File: PM Modi in Arunachal Pradesh

India has hit back at China for lodging a protest with New Delhi over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh last week, asserting that the state is an "inalienable part of India."

PM Modi on Saturday dedicated to the nation the Sela Tunnel built at an altitude of 13,000 feet in Arunachal Pradesh.

Reacting to the visit, China reiterated its claim over the area and said that India's moves will "only complicate" the unresolved boundary question.

In response, the ministry of external affairs on March 12 outrightly rejected the remarks.

“We reject the comments made by Chinese side on the visit of PM Modi to Arunachal Pradesh from time to time it will not change the ground reality that the state of Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will be integral and inalienable part of India," it said.

The MEA said that China's objections to such visits or India's developmental projects does not stand to reason.

It added that Beijing has been made aware of this consistent position time and again.

China, which claims Arunachal as South Tibet, often objects to Indian leaders' visits to the state to highlight its claims.

Beijing has also named the area as Zangnan.

India has repeatedly rejected China's territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state is an integral part of the country.

New Delhi has also dismissed Beijing's move to assign "invented" names to the area, saying it did not alter the reality.