In a major diplomatic row, defence exchanges between India and China have been put on hold after the latter refused permission to Northern Army Commander Lt Gen. B.S. Jaswal to visit that country because he comes from "sensitive" Jammu and Kashmir.
Gen. Jaswal was to visit China in July as part of defence exchanges but it could not take place in view of the Chinese objection, sources said here on Friday.
In retaliation, India has put on hold visits by Chinese defence officials here.
The visit by a General-rank officer to China was agreed upon between the two countries in January during the Annual Defence Dialogue, the sources said.
However, at that time it was not decided as to who will be sent by India, they said.
When India conveyed its decision to send Gen. Jaswal, China wrote back saying that he came from "sensitive location of Jammu and Kashmir" and that "people from this part of the world come with a different kind of visa", the sources said.
The Chinese side suggested that India may send some other officer and not cancel the visit.
The sources said the Chinese objection came close to the visit and so the matter could not be resolved and the trip could not take place.
"I am told that the visit to China has been postponed for a while. I am not aware of why it is being delayed," Gen. Jaswal said.
Commenting on the development, the external affairs ministry spokesperson Mr Vishnu Prakash said the visit did not take place "due to certain reasons" but did not elaborate.
He, however, made it clear that China needed to be sensitive to India's concerns.
"While we value our exchanges with China, there must be sensitivity to each others concerns. Our dialogue with China on these issues is ongoing," he said.
Upset over Beijing's action, New Delhi has kept in abeyance permission to two Chinese defence officials to come here for undertaking a course at the National Defence College.
A pending visit by Indian military officials to China has also been put off by India.
Political parties slammed the Chinese action, saying it was an "insult" to India and asked the government to take up the issue strongly.
"We must strongly condemn the Chinese step. The ministry of external affairs and the Government must immediately convey our displeasure in the strongest terms to China. It is the worst kind of insult inflicted upon India by denying permission to Jaswal to visit China," BJP spokesperson, Mr Prakash Javdekar, said.