New Delhi, October 15: Indian on Thursday hits out at China for calling Ladakh's union territory status illegal. China has no locus standi to comment on India's internal matters, said New Delhi responding to Beijing's remarks after 44 bridges were inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday in the border areas. India-China Border Stand-Off: Chinese Troops' Attempts to Unilaterally Alter Status Quo in Violation of Bilateral Agreements, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Tells Beijing.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "The Union Territories of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir have been, are and will remain an integral part of India." Srivastava added that the Indian government has conveyed to China at the highest level that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.

"Our position on Arunachal Pradesh has also been made clear several times. Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India. This fact has also been clearly conveyed to the Chinese side on several occasions, including at the highest level," the MEA spokesperson stated. India-China Disengagement Talks Update: Both Sides Agreed Not to Turn Differences Into Disputes, Says Indian Army After 7th Corps Commander Meeting.

On Monday, The spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, Zhao Lijian, told the media that Beijing opposes India building infrastructure in the region. He was responding to a question related to the 44 new bridges India has built near the LAC with China in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, which were inaugurated recently.

"First, I want to make it clear that China does not recognise the Ladakh Union Territory illegally set up by the Indian side and Arunachal Pradesh. We stand against the development of infrastructure facilities aimed at military contention along with the border areas," Lijian told the media.

Notably, Singh on Monday inaugurated 44 bridges to facilitate the movement of armed forces and logistics in forward areas of Ladakh. The 44 major bridges dedicated to the nation virtually constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in record time in seven border states and Union Territories in western, northern and north-eastern India. Singh also laid the foundation of important Nechiphu tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh.

The situation in eastern Ladakh deteriorated after around 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers were engaged in a violent face-off on the evening of May 5. Over 100 Indian and Chinese soldiers were injured in the violence. The incident in Pangong Tso was followed by a similar incident in North Sikkim on May 9.

On June 15, tensions accelerated between both the countries after 20 Indian soldiers were martyred in violent clashes with PLA troops in Galwan Valley. Chinese soldiers also suffered casualties, but Beijing did not disclose the exact numbers. Notably, the Indian Army has captured advantageous positions in the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 15, 2020 06:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).