'Mere painting ... ': Union minister Kiren Rijiju rebuffs reports on Chinese incursion in Arunachal

NEW DELHI: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday outrightly dismissed the reports suggesting that Chinese forces have entered into the Indian territory, saying mere paintings of marks in undemarcated locations doesn't mean the areas have been encroached upon.
Rijiju, who represents Arunachal West Lok Sabha constituency, also said that overlapping of patrolling by Indian and Chinese forces does take place in the undemarcated areas along the Indo-China border but that does not lead to encroachment of Indian territory.
"China can't take our land. Overlapping of patrolling does take place in the undemarcated areas. They are not allowed to construct anything permanent. There is strict vigil from our side. Mere painting of marks in undemarcated locations doesn't mean the areas have been encroached on," Rijiju told news agency PTI.
The Union minister's remark came amid reports that the Chinese troops allegedly entered inside Indian territory in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh last week and they were camping in the Kapapu area of the district.
Pictures of bonfires, painting of rocks and Chinese food materials found at the site have been shared on social media, the reports said.
The union minister said India has been building infrastructure along the border and that will continue.
"But we will not allow anyone to come near the Line of Actual Control," he said.
Last month, the ministry of external affairs said that India and China held a discussion over the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and decided to jointly uphold peace and tranquillity on the ground.
MEA said that a 'frank, constructive and forward-looking exchange of views' took place at the 31st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in Beijing.
The reports claiming Chinese "incursion" come at a time when the Indian army continues its standoff with Beijing's People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Ladakh, which has been ongoing since the clash in Galwan in April 2020.
India and China share a 3,400 km-long LAC stretching from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. China persistently asserts that Arunachal Pradesh has "always been" its territory, a claim that India rebuffed as "absurd" and "ludicrous".
New Delhi has consistently rejected China's territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh, maintaining that the state is an integral part of India.