New Delhi, Oct 14 (KNS): India has hit back at China for objecting to its decision to assign standard names to 28 places and geographical features in Ladakh, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asserting that the Union Territory is an "integral and inalienable" part of the country.
Responding to media queries on remarks by the Chinese side, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) said, "It is reiterated that the UT of Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India. No amount of denial by the Chinese side can change this established fact."
The reaction came after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced standard names for 28 places in Ladakh — including locations in disputed border areas and areas under China's actual control — and their inclusion on official maps.
Beijing reacted sharply, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning saying it had never recognised the "so-called Union Territory of Ladakh", alleging that India had established it "unilaterally and illegally".
Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelShe said China firmly opposed India's naming of the places, calling the move "illegal and invalid" and claiming it cannot change the fact that the relevant areas in the western sector of the China-India boundary "have always belonged to China".
Jaiswal said the MHA's press release was self-explanatory, explaining that the 28 places and geographical features were assigned standard names on the official Survey of India map.
The names, he said, were identified in consultation with the Union Territory of Ladakh and local stakeholders. According to the MEA, the exercise was aimed at facilitating accurate recognition of these locations and improving public awareness.
The MEA maintained that no denial by China could alter India's stand on the Union Territory. (KNS)
J&K,Health,Tourism,Crime,Politics,International,Entertainment,Sports,Education,Technology,Business,Weather,Condolence,City,Environment,Opinion,Legal,