India lodges strong protest against China's obstruction of some of Indian sportspersons from Asian Games

India has lodged a strong protest in New Delhi and Beijing against China's obstruction of some of the country's sportspersons from the Asian Games. In response to media queries on some Indian sportspersons being denied entry into 19th Asian Games, 

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India firmly rejects differential treatment of Indian citizens on the basis of domicile or ethnicity. He reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.

The spokesperson said India has learnt that the Chinese authorities have



discriminated against some sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh by denying them accreditation and entry to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. He said 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.

As a mark of protest against the Chinese action, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur has cancelled his scheduled visit to China for the Games. He said India reserves the right to take suitable measures to safeguard country's interests.