The Congress on Wednesday attacked the BJP after a Communist Party of China (CPC) delegation visited the ruling party’s headquarters here, accusing it of showing hypocrisy in its dealings with that country and asking whether it raises the issue of repeated Chinese transgressions during such interactions.
The Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said his party demands full accountability and complete transparency from the government on its China policy.
“This must include public disclosure of the agenda, outcomes and minutes of all closed-door meetings held between representatives of the CPC and BJP/RSS functionaries,” Khera said at a press conference here. His remarks come a day after the delegation from the CPC, led by its international department’s vice minister Sun Haiyan, visited the BJP headquarters.
During the meeting, a BJP delegation headed by party general secretary Arun Singh discussed at length “the means to advance inter-party communications between the BJP and the Communist Party of China”, BJP’s foreign affairs department in-charge Vijay Chauthaiwale said in a post on X. The Congress leader also slammed the government over the CPC delegation calling on RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Monday, saying “non-state players” should not be allowed to control state policy.
“As far as (CPC delegation) meeting with Hosable is concerned, we have always maintained that these non-state players should not be allowed to control state policy. RSS works behind shadows. It is a non-registered organisation and why should a non-registered organisation which is ashamed even in coming out openly is allowed to control state policy and hold these meetings,” Khera said.
“What is it that they have to discuss? Culture, I hope. But this is for the BJP-RSS to answer,” he added.
On the CPC delegation visiting the BJP headquarters, Khera said there is no problem in any political party meeting or engaging in dialogue with a political party from another country, “but we do have a problem — with BJP’s hypocrisy, pretence, and deceit”.
“For years, the BJP kept shouting that Congress had signed an MoU, and now they themselves are holding meetings. We have a problem with the BJP’s intentions, because after these closed-door meetings, the country has to bear the consequences,” he said.
The BJP has a habit of questioning the Congress party about meeting CPC members and Chinese officials, and they unleash a fake propaganda full of lies, but the moot question should be what actually transpires in their own meetings with Chinese officials and the CPC, Khera asked.
“Nothing is known about the nature of these meetings and the collaboration these meetings have fostered between the CPC and the BJP/RSS ecosystem,” he said.
Posing questions, Khera asked whether the BJP raises the issue of repeated Chinese transgressions during such meetings.
“Do they talk about restoring the status quo ante (pre-2020) at the Ladakh border and the LAC (Line of Actual Control) ? Their rampant military construction and building villages near the LAC?” he said.
Do they talk about the astronomical trade imbalance with China and the rampant flooding of Chinese goods in India, he further asked.
“Do these meetings talk about Chinese ban on providing rare earth minerals and specialised fertilisers to India? Do these meetings talk about the numerous detentions of Indian citizens from Arunachal Pradesh by Chinese authorities over the years?” Khera said.
The Congress leader asked whether the BJP ever confronted China about their role in assisting Pakistan in Operation Sindoor and providing them with weapons, technology and jets.
“Laal Aankh claims, in reality, have become the BJP’s ‘Laal Salaams’ to the Communist Party of China! Our strategic interests, our territorial integrity and sovereignty have been severely compromised in the Modi government following the path to pathetic surrender. Hurting India’s national interests has become the essence of PM Modi’s foreign policy,” he alleged.
“In Galwan, 20 Indian Army bravehearts made the supreme sacrifice but Modi ji fuelled China’s expansionist ambitions by giving the Chinese a clean chit,” Khera claimed.
China backed Pakistan militarily during Operation Sindoor, a fact acknowledged by India’s Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rahul R Singh, who described China as one of India’s “adversaries”, but the Modi government has now proposed lifting the ban on Chinese companies, he said.
“China deployed its HQ-9 air defence systems and supplied Pakistan with PL-15 missiles explicitly aimed at India, yet Modi ji went ahead with resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, accepting the Chinese conditions,” he alleged.
“The Chinese foreign minister, just like US President Donald Trump, has claimed that they intervened to ‘stop the war’ between India and Pakistan, but following his ‘maun vrat’ on the issue, Modi ji has maintained absolute silence,” Khera said.
China is making persistent efforts to intrude into the “Chicken Neck” – the Siliguri Corridor – via South Doklam, yet the Modi government is “caught snoozing”, he alleged.
“China calls the Shaksgam Valley, an integral part of India, ‘as belonging to China’, while justifying infrastructure construction in Indian territory, but Modi ji invited the CPC to the BJP office,” he said.
The BJP has maintained a continuous relationship with the CPC and since 2008, at least 12 such interactions between the BJP and China have taken place, he said.
We act openly, no secret MoU: BJP hits back Congress
NEW DELHI, JAN 13 (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday said it held a formal meeting with a Chinese delegation “openly”, given the “improved” relations between New Delhi and Beijing, unlike the Congress which, it alleged, “secretly” signed a memorandum of understanding with the neighbouring country’s ruling party.
The BJP was reacting after the Congress targeted it over the Communist Party of China delegation visiting the BJP headquarters here, accusing the saffron party of showing hypocrisy in its dealings with the neighbouring country and asking whether it raises the issue of “repeated Chinese transgressions” during such interactions.
The Congress media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera, said his party demands full accountability and complete transparency from the government on its China policy. Hitting back, BJP national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha said, “It was a process of a formal meeting.
A formal meeting takes place when a situation improves. We do it very openly.”
“We do not secretly sign any such MoU which we can not explain for years,” he said, in an apparent reference to the Congress reportedly signing a memorandum of understanding with the Communist Party of China.
The BJP has attacked the Congress on this issue several times, alleging that Rahul Gandhi signed a “secret” MoU with the Communist Party of China in Beijing in 2018 in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. It has also been demanding that the Congress make public the details of the MoU.
Sinha said the meeting with the Chinese delegation took place at the BJP headquarters here because “things have improved”.
“Recently, flights (between India and China) resumed. Trade talks are also going on,” he said, when asked about the Congress’ allegations.
The BJP spokesperson also attacked Rahul Gandhi, saying he lost his right to raise questions on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s foreign policy since he made a baseless claim that Indian soldiers were “thrashed” by Chinese soldiers during the Galwan Valley clash.
“Rahul Gandhi should not be compared with our people,” Sinha said.
On Monday, a delegation from the Communist Party of China, led by its international department’s vice minister Sun Haiyan, visited the BJP headquarters here.
During the meeting, a BJP delegation headed by party general secretary Arun Singh discussed at length “the means to advance inter-party communications between the BJP and the Communist Party of China (CPC)”,
The Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, also joined the CPC delegation.
The Chinese Communist Party delegation on Tuesday called on RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale here, sources said.
The delegates met the RSS second-in-command at 11 am at his office, and their meeting lasted for about an hour, they said.
“It was a courtesy call by them. The request for the meeting had come from the Chinese side,” the sources said.