New Delhi, Apr 4 (IANS): After Beijing renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, the Congress on Tuesday alleged that the country is paying the price for Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving a clean chit to China in June 2020.

Taking to Twitter, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "This is the price we continue to pay for PM Modi's clean chit to China in June 2020 and his eloquent silence on Chinese actions. Almost three years later, Chinese forces continue to deny our patrols access to the strategic Depsang Plains to which we previously had unimpeded access. And now the Chinese are attempting to undermine the status quo in Arunachal Pradesh."

He said a top Chinese diplomat recently claimed that the India-China border situation is now "stable". But China's provocations and transgressions continue. It has now released a third set of Chinese names for places in Arunachal Pradesh, having done so earlier in 2017 and 2021.

"Arunachal Pradesh has always been and remains an integral and unalienable part of India. The people of Arunachal Pradesh are proud and patriotic citizens of India. There should be no doubt whatsoever on the collective resolve of India, and of all Indians, to ensure that these realities are not disturbed in any way." he added.

On Monday, China released a list of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh whose names it has changed, as part of its efforts of re-emphasising its "claim" on the Indian state.

Rejecting the claim, the Government called Arunachal an integral part of India.