Over the years, the BJP has repeatedly targeted the Congress over its formal engagements with functionaries of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government, even alleging that such interactions were aimed at undermining India’s national interests.
On Tuesday, however, the Congress sought to turn the tables on the BJP, a day after a delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) visited the ruling party’s headquarters in New Delhi and held discussions on ways to “advance inter-party communications”.
Even as a delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC), led by International Department Vice Minister Sun Haiyan, also met Congress foreign affairs department chairperson Salman Khurshid on Tuesday, the principal opposition party accused the BJP of double standards for welcoming the Chinese team at its headquarters.
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong was also part of the delegation that visited the BJP office on Monday.
The Congress, which has repeatedly found itself under attack in the past over similar engagements, seized the moment to hit back, arguing that while it had never considered such interactions problematic, it was the BJP that had “weaponised” them for political attacks and must now answer questions.
“We never had any problem with meetings between political parties. The BJP itself held such meetings even when it was in the Opposition. But it cannot speak in two languages — one for the Congress and another for itself,” Congress leader Pawan Khera said at a press conference.
The CPC delegation also met RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale during the day, a move that drew sharp criticism from the Congress. Khera, who heads the party’s media and publicity department, questioned why the RSS — which he described as a “non-registered organisation working behind the shadows” — was allowed to hold talks with a foreign political party.
“We have always maintained that non-state actors should not influence state policy. What exactly does the RSS have to discuss with the CPC?” he asked.
The BJP and the RSS have repeatedly targeted the Congress over a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Rahul Gandhi, then Congress general secretary, with the CPC in Beijing in 2008 for regular high-level exchanges, when the UPA was in power. BJP leaders have demanded that the Congress disclose details of the MoU, alleging it compromised India’s national interests.
On March 31, 2024, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju wrote on X that Rahul Gandhi must explain what “match-fixing” the Congress did with China, questioning whether the MoU was linked to territorial issues such as Aksai Chin or Arunachal Pradesh.
Adopting a similar line on Tuesday, the Congress demanded that the BJP reveal details of its own engagement with the CPC, pointing out that China reiterated its territorial claims over the Shaksgam Valley soon after the meeting.
“China has called the Shaksgam Valley — an integral part of India — its own, while justifying infrastructure construction on Indian territory. Yet Modi ji invited the CCP to the BJP office. The BJP’s ‘Laal Aankh’ claims have, in reality, become ‘Laal Salaam’ to the Communist Party of China,” Khera said.
He also noted that at least 12 meetings between the BJP and the CPC have taken place since 2008, including a 2011 goodwill visit to China led by then BJP president Nitin Gadkari and an October 2008 visit by a 15-member CPC delegation to the BJP headquarters.
“Did the BJP raise Chinese transgressions? Did it talk about restoring the status quo at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh? Did it confront China over its support to Pakistan with weapons, technology and fighter jets?” Khera asked.
Responding to questions on whether these issues were raised by Khurshid in his meeting with the CPC delegation, Khera said the meeting had taken place at the CPC’s request and with government approval. “What transpired in their meeting with the ruling party is far more important. Such critical issues are not discussed with us,” he said. (Agencies)
