Kiren Rijiju Claims Border Infrastructure Now a Top Government Priority

Itanagar: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju declared on Thursday, August 20, that frontier development is now a top priority for the Narendra Modi government. He fired back at claims of recent Chinese military incursions into the Upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh, labeling the reports as false. Borders were neglected in the past. Now, the government is playing catch-up.

Rijiju, representing Arunachal West in the Lok Sabha, confirmed he visited the Maza, Galemo, and Taksing sectors to push infrastructure work forward. He took aim at the Congress party, citing a 2013 admission by former Defence Minister A.K. Antony. Antony told Parliament that decades of policy held that an undeveloped border was safer, a decision that gave China a clear infrastructure advantage. Rijiju stated, "Borders were neglected in the past but it's top priority now."

Antony had previously noted that governments began shifting this policy roughly two decades before his 2013 comments. Currently, the Ministry of External Affairs remains focused on the Line of Actual Control. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed on August 11 that the border situation is a serious matter impacting the broader bilateral relationship. Rijiju maintains the government will protect Indian territory and address local concerns without repeating old mistakes.