‘Unacceptable’: India lashes out at China for issuing stapled visas to players from Arunachal Pradesh | India News

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday lambasted China for issuing “stapled visas” to some sportspersons hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, describing the move as “unacceptable”.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that India reserves the right to “suitably respond” to such actions.
A stapled visa is a visa that is not stamped directly into the passport of the applicant, but instead is attached to the passport with a staple.

China’s move to issue such a visa is due to its long-held stand that Arunachal is part of its territory, a claim that India has rubbished repeatedly.
Bagchi said India has lodged its “strong protest” with the Chinese side on the matter and there should be no discrimination on the basis of domicile or ethnicity in the visa regime for Indian citizens.
Sources said the visit of a 12-member team of Wushu players to China’s Chengdu to compete at the World University Games was called off on Wednesday night as three players from Arunachal Pradesh in the group were given stapled visas.
The decision to put on hold the team’s travel was taken after the government examined the matter.
“It has come to our notice that stapled visas were issued to some of our citizens representing the country in an international sporting event in China,” Bagchi said.
“This is unacceptable and we have lodged our strong protest with the Chinese side reiterating our consistent position on the matter and India reserves the right to suitably respond to such actions,” he said during a media briefing.
While other members of the team received normal visas, the players from Arunachal Pradesh were given stapled visas, sources said.
In the past too, there were instances of China issuing stapled visas to Indians from Arunachal Pradesh that drew sharp reactions from New Delhi.
China claims that Arunachal is part of Southern Tibet.
In April, India outrightly rejected China’s move to rename some places in Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state is an integral part of India and assigning “invented” names does not alter this reality.
(With inputs from PTI)