The Narendra Modi Government’s lavish welcome to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the signing of about a dozen pacts in various sectors are being watched carefully by the Opposition Congress.
Even as the BJP claims that no previous Government had taken up the issue of border disputes and incursions with China in bilateral negotiations, the Congress said there was nothing new in the discussions with China.
Former Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said, in 2005 the guiding principles for negotiations for the settlement of the border disputes were signed when the then Chinese Prime Minister came to India. “Why we feel that there is a need to underscore this in advance is because the drumbeaters and propagandists of the Prime Minister and the BJP can be cautioned that they should stop saying repeatedly that this is happening for the first time in India,” Sharma said.
A Congress delegation, comprising party president Sonia Gandhi, Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, senior leaders Karan Singh and Sharma will meet the Chinese President on Friday.
Sharma hoped the discussions would be based on the guiding principles signed by the previous UPA regime.
The BJP, while welcoming the discussions with China, expressed satisfaction at the signing of various pacts. The party said no previous Government was able to take up the border issue and Chinese incursions in a bilateral negotiation.
It hoped the new pacts would help Indian pilgrims to access Nathula Pass in Sikkim in addition to the existing Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand.
However, there were voices within the Congress which reminded Modi about his speeches on the border disputes and Chinese incursions during his election campaign.
“Our jawans are injured in the firing by China and our Prime Minister is serving dhokla to the Chinese President. Is this what is called a 56-inch chest?” Youth Congress chief Rajiv Satav tweeted.