Ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, starting on July 17, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will brief Opposition parties on Friday on the border stand-off with China and the situation in Kashmir, Home Ministry sources in North Block said.
But across the road in South Block, confusion prevailed over who had called the meeting: the Ministry of External Affairs said it had not been informed in writing about it and refused to confirm whether China would be discussed.
“There is perhaps a meeting, I say, perhaps, as I still have no written word on that, but I understand there is a meeting tomorrow afternoon. I do not know where it is but I think maybe it is at the Home Minister’s residence and the External Affairs minister will also be present in the meeting. But I don’t know what subjects will be discussed,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said at his weekly briefing.
A senior Home Ministry official, however, said the current stand-off with the People’s Liberation Army at Doklam near the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction would be the main focus of the meeting. The terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims and the initiatives taken to boost infrastructure in the border areas would also be on the table.
“Instead of the Opposition wandering around for information on key strategic issues, the Minister decided to give a correct picture to them,” he stressed, adding that Ms. Swaraj would also attend the meeting at the Home Minister’s 17 Akbar Road residence on Friday.
Meanwhile, the government said it had not been informed in advance or after the meeting between Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the Chinese envoy last week. “MEA doesn’t comment on the activities of foreign embassies, or on political parties,” the spokesperson said.
The Congress first denied that the meeting took place but confirmed it later, saying it was the job of opposition leaders to keep abreast of current affairs through such meetings with foreign envoys.
