Itanagar, June 29: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Monday demanded an explanation from the Centre over reports of alleged Chinese encroachment and the establishment of settlements in the Taksing sector of Arunachal Pradesh, calling the allegations a serious threat to India’s territorial integrity.

In a statement, the APCC said that if the reports are true, they represent a grave breach of national security and expose what it termed the “gap between the BJP’s nationalist rhetoric and ground reality.”

The Congress party strongly condemned what it described as China’s repeated attempts to challenge India’s sovereignty through territorial claims and alleged incursions into Arunachal Pradesh.

“Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and shall always remain an inseparable and integral part of India,” the APCC said, adding that no amount of Chinese propaganda or unilateral action could alter that reality.

Questioning the BJP-led Union government’s handling of border issues, the APCC said reports of alleged Chinese settlements inside Arunachal had raised concerns over why China continued to challenge India’s sovereignty despite the Centre’s claims of providing strong leadership on national security.

The party sought clarification from the Centre on whether the reports of encroachment in the Taksing sector were true and, if so, what steps had been taken to restore the status quo and safeguard India’s territorial interests.

It also asked what diplomatic, strategic and military measures had been initiated to protect every inch of Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh.

The APCC said the people of the state deserved “facts, transparency and decisive action” and not “silence, denial or political grandstanding.”

The opposition party also called on BJP leaders in Arunachal Pradesh to rise above partisan considerations and speak unequivocally in defence of the state’s territorial integrity.

Reiterating its support for the armed forces and border residents, the APCC said patriotism was measured by the ability to defend the country’s territory and urged the Centre to respond to the allegations with “facts and action.”

“Arunachal Pradesh is India. Not an inch of our sacred land is negotiable,” the statement said.