Google map assigns Indian states to China

Leading Indian politicians have condemned Google, the internet search engine, for publishing a map which cedes parts of the country's Himalayan states to China.

Google's satellite map shows several Indian towns in Arunachal Pradesh listed under their Chinese names as part of China.

The maps also show the state's southern border with Assam and its northern boundary with China as broken lines, indicating disputed territory. It also appears to question India's borders with Burma and Bhutan.

The map has provoked an angry response in India, where tensions are high after Chinese officials denounced New Delhi for refusing to discuss a border dispute.

China claims vast swathes of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Arunachal Pradesh, which it says were illegally ceded to India during the British Raj.

Takam Sanjoy, a Congress MP, told the Times of India: "This is shocking. How could Google change the names of places of a sovereign country without the country's knowledge?"

Kiren Rijiju, a senior BJP figure in Arunachal Pradesh, said: "Had Google changed the names of Chinese locations, Beijing would have summoned Google officials. India, too, should deal with it firmly."