I Met Chinese Envoy, Rahul Gandhi Confirms After Cong Flip-flop

Meeting was courtesy call, former NSA chief Shiv Shankar Menon was also present: Congress

File photo of Rahul Gandhi addressing the media. 

(Photo: PTI)

Did Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi meet the Chinese ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui on 8 July? After first having denied the meeting, the Congress admitted, on the afternoon of 10 July, that Gandhi had met the Chinese ambassador to India.

In a series of tweets, the Congress vice president asserted that it was his “job to be informed of critical issues”.

He tweeted that if the government was concerned about his meeting with the Chinese ambassador, they should also question the three Union ministers who are “availing” Chinese hospitality when the border stand-off is on.

He also posted a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with chinese President Xi Jinping and took a dig at the government.

Congress Plays Down Meet

Confirming the meeting, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the both Chinese and Bhutanese envoys met Gandhi. Don’t “sensationalise the meet,” Surjewala said, adding that it was only a courtesy call, which was also attended by former NSA chief Shiv Shankar Menon.

In “public life, people meet and make acquaintances,” senior Congress leader Manish Tiwari said.

In the normal course of business, people meet other people. People in public life, meet each other and acquaint themselves. We have nothing more to say about this.

Manish Tiwari, Congress Leader

However, he did not respond to questions on why the party had earlier denied the meeting. Taking a dig at the BJP, Tiwari demanded to know why India did not have a full-time Defence minister.

You have a sensitive security situation. Why does India not have a full-time defence minister? Maybe, the FM is competent to bat on two fronts both North-South blocks. But India needs a full-time defence minister

Manish Tiwari

He added that the specifics of the meeting were “irrelevant”.

Rahul meets a wide spectrum of people every day, in his capacity as the Congress vice president and as the MP from Amethi. This issue stands closed for us.

Manish Tiwari

The meeting comes amid the border stand-off in the Doka La (India) or Doklam area in Bhutan.

Bilateral relationship between India and China strained further over the last week as border troops engaged in a standoff in the Donglang region. Located near the Sikkim border, Doklam is controlled by China, but Bhutan also asserts claim to the region.

Congress Denies Meeting, Slams ‘Bhakts’ Over Reports

Earlier, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala took to Twitter and blamed the ‘bhakt’ channel for running ‘fake news’ of the meet.

Two hours after Surjewala’s tweets, CNN-News 18 reiterated that Rahul Gandhi had, in fact, met Luo Zhaohui.

The Chinese embassy website confirmed the meeting and later removed the post, the news channel reported.

(Photo: Screengrab)

CNN News18 quoted sources in the Chinese embassy as saying that Zhaohui and Gandhi had exchanged view on the current Sino-Indian relations on Saturday.

Interestingly, the purported meeting took place a day after Rahul Gandhi questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the ongoing confrontation with China over the Doklam plateau.

On Friday, PM Modi raised eyebrows when he met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of G20. The brief interaction between the leaders fuelled speculation about the timing of the warm handshake during the ongoing standoff in the Doklam plateau area.

PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg.(Photo: PTI)

(This story has been updated with the Congress’ acknowledgement of the meeting.)