Swamy questions Congress' patriotism post Rahul-Chinese envoy meet

New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday questioned the patriotism of Congress leaders after party vice-president Rahul Gandhi met Chinese envoy Luo Zhaohui.

"This is not an issue of who meeting whom but to lie that this didn't happen. It is shocking to involve China in internal affairs of India and in matters of national security. The patriotism of Congress leaders are at question and that is where they need to clarify," Swamy told ANI.

He further said hiding the meeting was an indication that something clandestine was planned and the Congress Party got caught in it.

The Congress party landed in a soup yesterday when the grand old party first denied that Rahul met with the Chinese envoy, but later accepted and revealed that the party vice-president met Bhutanese envoy as well.

"Various ambassadors and envoys keep meeting the Congress president and the vice-president from time to time on a courtesy basis, particularly those of G5 nations and also of the neighbouring countries - be it the Chinese Ambassador, or the Bhutanese Ambassador or the former national security advisor Shiv Shankar Menon," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told ANI.

"Rahul Gandhi met all of them. So, nobody should try to sensationalise such normal courtesy calls or term them as events," he added.

Surjewala, in a series of tweets, had said "some news channels were running fake news on Rahul's alleged meeting with the Chinese Ambassador".

Congress leader Anand Sharma asserted that the meeting has been blown out of proportion and unnecessarily sensationalised.

Speaking to ANI, Sharma said, "This is a non issue. I am surprised how it has been distorted and blown out of proportion since morning. The question is whether there was a meeting or not. We have regular diplomatic relations with China; there are no restrictions or embargo and therefore, the manner in which this issue has been dealt with and sensationalised, it is unwarranted and unnecessary."

The meeting came amid the stand- off between India and China that has been taking place for the past three weeks over the tri-junction area of Doklam sector near Bhutan.

The stand-off emerged after the China's People's Liberation Army construction party attempted to build a road near the Doklam area.

Bhutan recognises as Dokalam as its area while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. Doka La is the Indian name for the region. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI