NEW DELHI: Previous Governments had adopted a “defeatist” attitude by not constructing roads in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh as they felt Chinese forces could use them, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said today.
Speaking ad lib at a conference on ‘Homeland Security, Smart Border Management’ organised by FICCI here, the Minister of State for Home Affairs claimed an “unwritten” policy of the Governments of the past was not to develop border areas.
He cited a statement made by L K Advani during a visit to Arunachal Pradesh when he was the deputy prime minister that India was making a “huge blunder” by neglecting its borders.
“I am talking about pre-1998. Our deputy prime minister L K Advani came to Arunachal Pradesh. He made a very important statement at Itanagar. He said India has committed a ‘huge blunder’ by neglecting its border,” Rijiju, who hails from the northeastern state, said. (AGENCIES)
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