The Dalai Lama at Dirang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday. Governor PB Acharya (L) and CM Pema Khandu are also seen. PTI

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 6

China today upped the ante on its strong disapproval of the visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh.Using the state-run media to attack India, China also picked on Junior Home Minister Kiren Rijiju for taking the stand that Arunachal Pradesh was an integral part of India and also for accompanying the Tibetan spiritual leader on his visit. “If New Delhi chooses to play dirty, however, Beijing should not hesitate to answer blows with blows,” said an edit in The China Daily.India has always rejected China’s claims that Arunachal Pradesh is “south Tibet” and India’s decision to give its nod to the Dalai Lama for his visit to Tawang has enraged China.Yesterday, China summoned Vijay Gokhlae, India’s Ambassador to China, to protest India’s decision. This is only the second time in the past eight years that China has summoned the Indian envoy; underlining how “upset” China was with India.In a veiled reference to Kashmir, the state-run Global Times (GT) ran an aggressive line asking India to see sense in its leverage with China.Most newspapers in China pointed out that India was using the Dalai Lama as a “spiritual tool” to gain leverage. China has accused the spiritual leader of having a separatist agenda, a charge that has been denied by the Dalai Lama and India.

Rijiju visits border post

New Delhi: Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, on Wednesday visited Saluicegate Border Outpost of Sashastra Seema Bal in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh to interact with the security personnel there in the wake of China threats following Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama’s visit to the north-eastern state. Rijiju is learnt to have stayed at the post for half an hour and appreciated the staff for their dedication. TNS

Takes on Rijiju

“Rijiju might think himself cute in borrowing a line from Beijing’s diplomatic representations, but he has ignored the fundamental distinction here: Like Taiwan and any other part of China, Tibet is a part of the Chinese territory no matter whether New Delhi agrees or not” Edit in state-run The China Daily