Bharat has lodged strong protests with China over its denial of
accreditation for the Hangzhou Asian Games to some of the Bharatn sportspersons
from Arunachal Pradesh, and asserted that New Delhi reserves the right to take “suitable
measures” to safeguard its interests.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said as a
mark of Bharat’s protest against China’s discriminatory behaviour, Union
I&B and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has cancelled his scheduled
visit to China for the Games.
Describing the Chinese action as targeting of the sportspersons in
a “pre-meditated” manner, Bagchi said the move violates both the spirit of the
Asian Games and the rules governing their conduct as they “explicitly prohibits
discrimination” against competitors from member States.
He said a “strong protest” has been lodged against China’s “deliberate
and selective obstruction” of some of Bharat’s sportspersons.
“The Government of Bharat has learnt that the Chinese authorities
have, in a targeted and pre-meditated manner, discriminated against some of the
Bharatiyan sportspersons from the State of Arunachal Pradesh by denying them
accreditation and entry to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China,” Bagchi
said.
“In line with our long-standing and consistent position, Bharat
firmly rejects differential treatment of Bharatiyan citizens on the basis of
domicile or ethnicity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an
integral and inalienable part of Bharat,” he said.
Bagchi said Bharat reserves the right to take “suitable measures to
safeguard our interests”.
“China’s action violates both the spirit of the Asian Games and the
rules governing their conduct, which explicitly prohibits discrimination
against competitors from member States,” he said.
“Further, as a mark of our protest against the Chinese action, the
Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports of Bharat
has cancelled his scheduled visit to China for the Games,” Bagchi added.
PTI
