Rahul Gandhi wanted ceremonial see-off from Chinese ambassador for Kailash Mansarovar yatra: BJP

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra sought to know from the Congress as to which politicians and officials Rahul Gandhi will meet during his visit to China and accused the Congress president of holding brief for China everywhere like a “Chinese spokesperson”.

The BJP has claimed that Congress president Rahul Gandhi wanted the Chinese ambassador to give him a ceremonial see-off as he left for the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra on Friday, accusing him of holding brief for China everywhere like a “Chinese spokesperson”.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi left for a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar on Friday. (HT File Photo)

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sambit Patra sought to know from the Congress as to which politicians and officials Gandhi will meet during his visit to China, “his favourite country”. Patra did not comment on Gandhi’s pilgrimage, saying it is a personal visit. Kailash Mansarovar region falls in China.

The BJP leader claimed that the Chinese ambassador had sought required permission from the Indian government to give Gandhi a ceremonial see-off but it did not respond to his letter.

“You are Rahul Gandhi, not Chinese Gandhi. Why should the Chinese ambassador want to see off a non-Chinese person? There is no such protocol,” Patra told a press conference, asking what is the Congress president’s China connection. “Ye rishta kya kehlata hai? (What is this relationship called),” he asked.

In the press conference, the BJP also played a video clip of several comments made by Gandhi in which he highlights achievements of the neighbouring country, and alleged that the Congress president acts like a “Chinese spokesperson”.

“Addiction, obsession or something else” was the video’s title.

During the Doklam standoff between India and China, Gandhi had met the Chinese ambassador to understand the Chinese perspective without taking the Indian government into confidence or seeking to know Indian perspective, he said.

He also mentioned Gandhi’s claim that China gives 50,000 jobs to its people every 24 hours while India could employ only 450 persons everyday and termed them as “comic figures”. “Why he is holding brief for China everywhere as if he is a hired man to advertise China,” Patra said.

The Gandhi family was a guest of the Chinese government during the 2008 Olympics in the country and the Chinese ambassador had gone to airport to see its members off, Patra said, questioning the kind of relations it has with the country.

Congress hits back: