Issuing of stapled visas by China unacceptable: Antony

NEW DELHI: India today described as "unacceptable" the issuing of stapled visas to residents of Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh by China.

"Issuing of stapled visas is unacceptable to India," Defence Minister A K Antony told reporters here.

He was responding to queries about the recent incident involving two sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh.

The two athletes were prevented by immigration officials from boarding a flight yesterday from New Delhi to Beijing since they had stapled visas given by Chinese Embassy on their passports.

The Ministry of External Affairs has made it clear that India considers Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India and has conveyed to the Chinese side that a uniform process of issue of visas to Indian citizens be followed regardless of applicant's ethnicity or place of domicile.

Needling India, China started issuing stapled visas to people from Jammu and Kashmir from later part of 2008 in an attempt to project it as a disputed area.

India had raised the issue during Chinese premier Wen Jiabao's three-day visit to New Delhi last month.

Asked about the recent reports on China's military build-up along Indian boundary and on intrusion by its troops, Antony said, "we are modernising our armed forces with the assessment of our security forces. Whatever modern weapons and forces are required, we are providing it to them."

"I can say that compared to the past, our security scenario is better than and it is better in both the western and the eastern sector."