CCP delegation holds talks with RSS, BJP, Congress amid political sparring

A Chinese Communist Party delegation met RSS, Congress leaders in New Delhi after holding talks with the BJP, with the visits prompting a political exchange between the ruling party and the Opposition

A delegation of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale in the national capital on Tuesday morning. The delegation also met the Congress’ foreign affairs department head, Salman Khurshid, later in the day.

 

Which political leaders did the CCP delegation meet in New Delhi?

 

The CCP delegation, led by its international department’s Vice Minister Sun Haiyan, visited the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters on Monday. Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong was also part of the delegation. During the meeting, the BJP delegation, headed by party national general secretary Arun Singh, discussed at length “the means to advance inter-party communications between the BJP and the CPC.”

 

What transpired during the meeting with the RSS leadership?

 

On Tuesday, the CCP delegation met Hosabale, the RSS second-in-command, here at 11 am at his office, and the meeting lasted for about an hour. “It was a courtesy call by them. The request for the meeting had come from the Chinese side,” RSS sources said.

 

How did the Congress respond to the meetings with the CCP delegation?

 

About the CCP delegation’s meeting with the Congress’ foreign affairs department, including Khurshid, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, “The CCP delegation had requested for a meeting, the request was approved by the government of India and that is why our foreign affairs department chief, Salman Khurshid, met them.” Khera slammed the BJP-RSS over their meetings with the Chinese delegation and said the issue is whether the ruling party and its ecosystem raised critical questions related to India’s national interests when they met the delegation members behind closed doors.

 

What was the BJP’s reaction to the Congress’ criticism?

 

Reacting to Khera’s statement, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said that the party held a formal meeting with a Chinese delegation openly, given the “improved” relations between New Delhi and Beijing, unlike the Congress which, he alleged, “secretly” signed a memorandum of understanding with the neighbouring country’s ruling party.

 

Reciprocal visits and interactions between delegations of political parties of different countries are routine, and take place with the approval of the government of the host country.