NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday witnessed a row between Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who said discussions were under way between India and China on the issue of boundary along Arunachal Pradesh and there would be "some adjustments."

Raising the issue during zero hour, Mr. Advani drew attention to the latest statement by Chinese Ambassador Sun Yuxi in Chandigarh that portions of the northeastern State were being "actively negotiated" by the two countries. He demanded that the Government take a serious note of the two statements made by the envoy and that the External Affairs Ministry summon him. Mr. Sun had made a similar controversial statement on the eve of the Chinese President's visit to India last month.

Mr. Advani also wanted an assurance from the Government that Arunachal Pradesh was an inalienable part of India.

Institutional arrangement

Mr. Mukherjee said the Government had already clarified its position, describing Arunachal Pradesh as an "integral part" part of India and that the question was not debatable. However, certain boundary-related issues were being discussed under an institutional framework set up in 2003 by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "China has raised the issue time and again as it does not recognise the McMahon Line dividing Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh. The matter has been taken up with the appropriate authority," Mr. Mukherjee said, adding Kashmir was also an integral part of India but negotiations to resolve the issue were on under an institutional arrangement.

Reacting to the statement, Mr. Advani argued, "if it becomes the condition that it (any State) has been declared an integral part of the country, then it is not negotiable ...then there is no point in having discussions on Jammu and Kashmir because this House has passed a resolution declaring it an integral part of India."

Mr. Mukherjee said there was no need to get "too excited" on these issues and the institutional arrangements should be allowed to do their work. "If some envoy of some country says something, it will be taken up at the appropriate level."

Tapir Rao and Khiren Rijiju, BJP members from Arunachal, said the Minister's response was not satisfactory. Intervening, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said all sections of the House had stated Arunachal Pradesh was not negotiable.

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