Indian Woman Faces 18-Hour Ordeal at Shanghai Airport
Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian financial advisor originally from Arunachal Pradesh, faced an 18-hour detention at Shanghai Pudong Airport after Chinese officials declared her Indian passport invalid because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace. The incident occurred on November 21, 2025, when Thongdok was traveling from London to Japan with a scheduled three-hour layover in Shanghai that turned into an extended ordeal.
Congress Slams Government Over China's 'Insult to India'
The Congress party launched a sharp criticism against the Central government on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, calling China's actions an insult to India and demanding strong diplomatic action. In a post on social media platform X, the opposition party accused China of continuing its nefarious activities and urged the Modi administration to take a firm stand.
The political firestorm intensified after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reinforced Beijing's territorial claims, stating that India has illegally settled Arunachal Pradesh and describing the state as India's illegal setup that forms part of China's Zangnan region.
Details of the Airport Detention
Prema Thongdok, who is in her 30s and has been living in the United Kingdom for 14 years, comes from Rupa in Arunachal Pradesh's West Kameng district, where her family still resides. During her transit through Shanghai Pudong Airport, officials singled her out for questioning about her birthplace entry in the passport.
According to Thongdok's account, Chinese immigration authorities insisted that Arunachal Pradesh is part of China, thereby rendering her Indian passport invalid. She was held in a separate room, subjected to repeated questioning, and denied clear information about the reasons for her detention before eventually being permitted to continue her journey to Japan.
The Congress party specifically demanded that the Indian government lodge a strong diplomatic protest against what it termed China's low-level rhetoric regarding India. The party emphasized that such language from China was completely unacceptable and required immediate governmental response.
Beijing has rejected the allegations, maintaining that its immigration officials were simply following established laws and procedures. However, the incident has further strained India-China relations amid ongoing border disputes and territorial claims.
