SC petition helps BJP resurrect Cong’s China ‘link’

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The BJP took a dig at the Congress on Friday, after the Supreme Court questioned how a political party entered into an agreement with China. This even as the apex court declined to entertain a request for a probe into a 2008 pact between the Congress and the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The BJP lashed out at the congress party and the Gandhis, once again on Friday evening, after the Supreme Court asked, “How can a political party enter into an agreement with China?”
“The Congress party goes and signs an agreement in China and in it, the party says that all the important bilateral, regional and international topics will be exchanged. Really, it’s surprising,” said BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra, during a media interaction.
The attack by the BJP came right after a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde said, it never heard of a foreign government signing an agreement with a political party of another country.
The Apex court was hearing a PIL seeking National Investigation Agency (NIA)/CBI probe into the 2008 agreement between Indian National Congress (INC) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) for exchanging high-level information and for cooperation between them under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Though the top court declined to entertain the PIL, its observation was fodder enough for the BJP to mount a fresh attack at the grand old party.
Patra said, “The deal was followed by the Olympics in Beijing. Though the then Prime Minister of India did not attend, but Sonia Gandhi went there as a VVIP.”
Patra also raked up Rahul Gandhi’s controversial meeting with the Chinese envoy during the Doklam stand-off.
Earlier, the petitioner argued that despite having a hostile relation with China, the Congress had signed an agreement when it was leading the coalition government and hidden the facts and details of the agreement.
Making the most of the development, a little ahead of the BJP’s full frontal press conference, party President JP Nadda tweeted, “Does this explain donations to RGF and opening of Indian market for the Chinese in return, which impacted Indian businesses?”
The legal petition in question that sparked off a political storm pertains to an agreement signed during the UPA regime on August 7, 2008, between INC and the CPC in Beijing for exchanging high-level information and co-operation between them.
“The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) also provided the two parties with the “opportunity to consult each other on important bilateral, regional and international developments,” said the plea.

- Advertisement -