NEW DELHI, Aug 20: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said strengthening infrastructure in border areas had become a major priority for the Narendra Modi government, while rejecting claims of a fresh large-scale Chinese intrusion into Arunachal Pradesh.
Rijiju, who represents Arunachal West in the Lok Sabha, said frontier regions had remained neglected for years but the government was now accelerating infrastructure development in strategically important areas.
In a post on X, Rijiju said he had visited Maza, Galemo and Taksing in Arunachal Pradesh to review and expedite infrastructure projects. He stressed that difficult terrain would not deter efforts to improve connectivity and facilities along the border.
His remarks came amid renewed concerns over alleged Chinese military activity in the Upper Subansiri region.
Rijiju also criticised the Congress and referred to remarks made by former defence minister A K Antony in Parliament in 2013 regarding India’s historical approach to border infrastructure.
Antony had then acknowledged that China had developed substantially stronger infrastructure along the frontier and that India had lagged behind after Independence because of an earlier policy of keeping border regions underdeveloped.
However, the former defence minister had also clarified that successive Indian governments had recognised the shortcomings of that approach and begun changing policy well before the UPA came to power.
Antony had said India had started strengthening its border capabilities and argued that infrastructure development in frontier areas had gained momentum during the UPA-I and UPA-II periods.
Rijiju’s latest comments follow his rejection on Wednesday of reports claiming that Chinese troops had moved as far as 60 km inside Arunachal Pradesh.
He termed such assertions false and cautioned against making unverified claims on a sensitive issue involving India-China relations. At the same time, he acknowledged concerns expressed by people living in border areas and said the government would address their grievances while protecting Indian territory.
The issue comes against the backdrop of continuing sensitivity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where India and China have faced prolonged tensions.
The Ministry of External Affairs has repeatedly maintained that peace and tranquillity along the LAC are essential for maintaining stable bilateral relations.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had earlier said India considers border matters with China extremely serious and has consistently conveyed this position to Beijing.
He also stressed that developments along the border have a direct bearing on the broader India-China relationship, making the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in frontier areas a key priority.
Rijiju’s comments underline the government’s emphasis on improving roads, connectivity and other strategic infrastructure in remote border regions while countering claims about Chinese advances into Indian territory.