Rejecting China's persisting claims on Arunachal Pradesh, India on Friday made it clear that it cannot "give up" any part of the country that regularly sends its elected representatives to the "sovereign Parliament".
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said India has been responding to the "noises" made recently and New Delhi's position had been conveyed by him to his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechn.
"Of late, there have been lot of noises. We have also been responding. First response came from me," he told reporters in Shillong when asked to comment on Beijing's claims, made repeatedly, that Arunachal is "Chinese territory".
He said he had made it clear to his Chinese counterpart that "it is extremely difficult for any Indian government adhering to the Constitution" to "give up any part of the country which is regularly sending its elected representatives to the state assemblies and the sovereign Parliament."
"Therefore, these aspects have to be kept in view," Mukherjee said as having told the Chinese Foreign Minister.