India condemns China for discrimination against its athletes based on 'domicile or ethnicity'. States, 'Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India'

India on Friday said it has lodged a strong protest with China over its denial of accreditation for the Hangzhou Asian Games to some of the Indian sportspersons from northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, and asserted that New Delhi reserves the right to take "suitable measures" to safeguard its interests.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement that as a mark of India's protest against China's “discriminatory” behaviour, India’s Sports and Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has cancelled his scheduled visit to China for the Games.

Describing the Chinese action as “targeting of the sportspersons in a pre-meditated" manner,” Bagchi said the move violates both the spirit of the Asian Games and the rules governing their conduct as they "explicitly prohibits discrimination" against competitors from member states.

China claims entire Arunachal Pradesh as its own territory, which has been rejected several times by New Delhi which says the state was inalienable part of India.

“Government of India has learnt that the Chinese authorities have, in a targeted and pre-meditated manner, discriminated against some of the Indian sportspersons from the state of Arunachal Pradesh by denying them accreditation and entry to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China,” Bagchi said.

“In line with our long-standing and consistent position, India firmly rejects differential treatment of Indian citizens on the basis of domicile or ethnicity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” he maintained.

The spokesman said the Indian government reserves the right to take suitable measures to safeguard our interests.”

Meanwhile, New Delhi cancelled Friday a trip by its Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, saying that Chinese authorities had denied accreditation and entry to Indian athletes from a region claimed by Beijing.

The three women players - Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu -- did receive their accreditation cards from Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC) which also acts as an entry visa. The athletes are then required to download their travel document which is validated upon arrival.

However, the three players from Arunachal could not download their travel document on Wednesday when they were scheduled to travel for the Asian Games. The rest of the 10-member Indian squad along with the coaching staff left for the Games in Hangzhou on Wednesday, according to reports.