'Reserve Right to Respond Suitably': MEA Takes Strong Note of Stapled Visa Issued to Indian Sportspersons

India on Thursday said that it has lodged strong protest with China after some of the players were issued stapled visa, dubbing the action "unacceptable" and India reserves the right to suitably respond to such actions.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said: "On stapled visa issue, our longstanding and consistent position is that there should be no discrimination or differential treatment on the basis of domicile or ethnicity in the visa regime for the Indian citizens holding valid Indian passports."

He said that it has come to their notice that stapled visas were issued to some of our citizens representing our country in an international sports event in China.

"This is unacceptable and we have lodged strong protest with the Chinese side reiterating our consistent position on the matter and India reserves the right to suitably respond to such actions," Bagchi added.

The MEA spokesperson was responding to a question whether a number of sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh were issued stapled visas.

Issuance of stapled visa has been a bone of contention in India-China relationship. China, which has repeatedly made territorial claims to Arunachal Pradesh, has maintained its policy of issuing stapled visas, instead of stamped visas, to the residents of the northeastern state in the past.