New Delhi: The Congress party on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of maintaining close ties with China and called for transparency regarding the outcome of high-level meetings between the two parties since 2008. Pawan Khera, a senior leader of the Congress, raised questions directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a comprehensive record of the minutes of 12 significant encounters between BJP members and Chinese officials over the years.
Khera queried, "Ever since June 2020, when the outgoing Prime Minister gave China a clean chit for its actions in Ladakh, the people of India have been asking why the BJP is so unwilling to stand up to China. Are the close links between the BJP and the Communist Party of China behind this?"
Khera highlighted that there have been "at least 12 meetings since 2008 where Bharatiya Janata Party politicians have met with Communist Party of China officials, most of them in China itself." He demanded full transparency on the discussions held during these meetings and the reasons behind them, especially those that took place soon after significant border clashes.
"What happened at each of these meetings? Why have these two parties met so frequently? When BJP cadre went to the Communist Party 'School', what were they taught? Why did BJP-RSS leaders meet with the CCP in the same month as June 2017 border clash at Doklam? Ye Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (What is this relationship called)?" Khera asked.
Congress Lists BJP And RSS' Meetings With CCP Members
Highlighting the sequence of meetings, Khera elucidated on the encounters between BJP representatives and officials of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) dating back to 2008. The Congress leader pointed out specific instances such as a visit by a 15-member CCP delegation to the BJP central office in October 2008, and a subsequent five-day trip by a BJP-RSS team to Beijing and Shanghai in January 2009. He also mentioned meetings involving senior BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, and Amit Shah.
After the October 2008 Chinese delegation visit, Rajnath Singh then stated that the BJP "has always favoured fostering positive ties with China", the Congress party mentioned.
In February 2015, a CCP central committee minister engaged in discussions with Amit Shah at the BJP headquarters. Additionally, in October 2015, BJP vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe held a meeting with Chen Fengxiang, vice-minister of the International Department of the CCP central committee in China.
Furthermore, in June 2017, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav convened with Guo Yezhou of the CCP in Fuzhou, China. This trend continued in May 2018, as BJP leader Anirban Ganguly met with Guo Yezhou of the CCP in Shenzhen, China. In August 2018, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav rekindled ties with a CCP minister in Beijing, China, as per the statement. September 2018 witnessed a significant interaction, as CCP politburo member Huang Kunming engaged with BJP leader and then Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das, purportedly aimed at developing new types of political party relations.
Subsequently, in August 2019, a BJP delegation led by BJP general secretary Arun Singh embarked on a visit to China. During this visit, a BJP cadre study group held discussions with Guo Yezhou, vice minister of the International Department of the CCP Central Committee. Notably, in September 2019, BJP president J P Nadda met with the Chinese ambassador.
Khera underscored the significance of these meetings, particularly in the context of sensitive border clashes, questioning the motives behind such engagements. He demanded clarity on the content of discussions, the objectives of these encounters, and any agreements or understandings reached between the two parties.
The Congress leader also referred to alleged encounters between BJP representatives and CCP officials during periods of heightened tension between India and China, raising concerns about the nature of these engagements.
The BJP is yet to respond to the Congress's remarks.