It's my job to be informed on critical issues, says Rahul Gandhi

Both China and India have been engaged in an impasse in the Doklam area for the past three weeks after a Chinese army attempted to build a road.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday defended his meeting with Chinese envoy amid Sikkim stand-off after his party spokesperson confirmed the meeting today afternoon.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted his response saying 'It is my job to be informed on critical issues. I met Chinese Ambassador, Ex-NSA, Congress leaders from Northeast and Bhutanese Ambassador.'

He hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) objection over his meeting with Chinese Ambassador and sought explanation from the ruling party why three Union Ministers are availing Chinese hospitality amid the stand-off with China.

Earlier, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala confirmed Chinese envoy Luo Zhaohui meeting Rahul Gandhi. He said," Envoys met Rahul Gandhi ji, not only Chinese envoy but also Bhutanese envoy and ex-National Security Advisor (NSA) Shiv Shankar Menon.

Surjewala called the meeting as a 'courtesy call' saying 'Nobody should attempt to sensationalize this.' Various ambassadors and envoys keep meeting Congress President and Vice President time to time on a courtesy basis, he added.

Surjewala said Rahul and other opposition leaders are "fully aware of our national interests" and are concerned about the "grave situation" on the Indo-Chinese border as well as "the situation arising in Bhutan as also in Sikkim".

In fact, the Chinese embassy website had said that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi met with Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui on July 8 and "exchanged views" on the "current bilateral relations".

However, the party had denied reports of meeting.

The reports of the meeting between Rahul Gandhi and the Chinese Ambassador have emerged following Congress leader's tweet questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "silence" on the current standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries in Doklam area in the Sikkim sector.

OneIndia News