India is awaiting clearance from China to dispatch a planeload of medical supplies to help Beijing battle the novel coronavirus, five days after the announcement was made by Indian ambassador to China Vikram Misri.

Till late Thursday night, there was no official word on when the aircraft would leave for Wuhan, from where it would bring back about 100 Indians ready to return in the face of the spreading coronavirus.

Asked about when the aircraft would leave, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in the afternoon that India was still awaiting clearance.

Students opposed to the Citizenship Amendment Act protest during Amit Shah’s visit to Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, on Thursday. Picture by UB Photos

Arunachal visit

On the same day, China and India continued on the beaten track of verbal sparring over Arunachal Pradesh. Reacting to the visit of Union home minister Amit Shah to the border state, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuan warned that it could sabotage mutual trust.

The Chinese government has never recognised Arunachal Pradesh.

In response, Kumar said: “Our position on Arunachal Pradesh is clear and consistent. Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India. Indian leaders routinely travel to the state of Arunachal Pradesh as they do to any other state of India. Objecting to the visit of Indian leaders to a state of India does not stand to reason and understanding of the Indian people.”

At Itanagar in Arunachal, chants of “Go back mota bhai (big brother)” and “Save democracy” rent the air as several student and youth organisations opposed to the amended citizenship act staged a protest against Shah’s visit.

Shah was in Itanagar to take part in the statehood day celebrations. This was Shah’s first visit to the state after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament on December 11, 2019.

Wearing black bands and carrying placards against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and Shah, nearly 50 youths marched towards the home minister’s convoy till they were stopped by police. Most organisations in the Northeast, especially those from Assam, see the CAA as a threat to the region’s culture and identity.