The Congress on Monday said that party leader, Rahul Gandhi, had met the ambassadors of India and China, amidst the ongoing dispute over the area abutting Bhutan by the two neighbouring countries.
The party confirmed that Gandhi had met the ambassadors of China and Bhutan, but did not specify when or where the meetings were held. The Vice President also tweeted and confirmed that he had met the Chinese Ambassador.
It is my job to be informed on critical issues. I met the Chinese Ambassador, Ex-NSA, Congress leaders from NE & the Bhutanese Ambassador
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 10, 2017
Congress spokesperson, Randeep Surjewala, called the meeting, a “courtesy call”.
Gandhi had met Chinese ambassador, Luo Zhaohui, Bhutanese ambassador, Vetsop Namgyel and former national security Adviser, Shiv Shankar Menon, Surjewala said.
But “nobody should try to sensationalise such normal courtesy calls to term them an event like the sources of the Ministry of External Affairs are attempting to do,” he said.
Surjewala had earlier tweeted that the news about Gandhi meeting the Chinese envoy was “planted” by government agencies through “bhakt channels”.
He also said that the vice-president and other opposition leaders were “fully aware of national interests” and were concerned about the “grave situation” on the India-China border as well as “the situation arising in Bhutan and Sikkim”.
Tension on the border built up three weeks ago, after a Chinese army construction party attempted to construct a road in the region.
Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as a part of its Donglang region.
