Bamang Tago, manager of the Indian badminton contingent, was recently denied visa on the ground of Arunachal Pradesh domicile, according to reports from Indian media. Tago was supposed to lead a 14-member Indian contingent team to Fuzhou for the ongoing Thaihot China Open badminton tournament.

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"I have been in Delhi since November 10 but I have not been granted the visa. I am the manager of the Indian team and they are already there playing in the first round today but I am stuck here," Tago told Press Trust of India (PTI).

Tago claimed that when he inquired with the Chinese embassy about the status of his visa application, officials told him that since he belongs to the Arunachal Pradesh state, his application will need permission from Beijing.

 "There has been no response from the Chinese Embassy since then. So today I met Mr Kiren Rijiju (Indian minister) and sought his intervention," he added.

The contagious issue of Arunachal Pradesh has created considerable tension between two countries in recent months. Few weeks back, Beijing protested India's decision to allow exile Tibetan leader to visit the disputed state.

The disputed state is one of the vexed issues between the two Asian neighbors. Beijing stakes claim over nearly 90,000 sq km (35,000 sq miles) area of the state, arguing that the entire area is a part of South Tibet.

India, however, refutes this claim and calls Arunachal Pradesh an integral part of the country. The state became part of India through a controversial Simla accord of 1914, which Beijing refuses to acknowledge.   

The disputed state is currently governed by the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Officials of Indian and Chinese PLA (Public Liberation Army) regularly meet to maintain peace at the border areas. However, India in recent past has accused Chinese solider of incursion in the region.     

TagsArunachal Pradesh, china, India and China, India