A Communist Party of China delegation's meetings here stirred a political row on Tuesday with the Congress asking whether the BJP raised the issue of repeated Chinese transgressions during its interaction with the visitors, and the ruling party hitting back, saying it acts openly and does not "secretly sign an MoU".

The delegation from the Communist Party of China (CPC), led by its international department's vice minister Sun Haiyan, visited the BJP headquarters on Monday and interacted with the ruling party's leaders.

On Tuesday, the Chinese delegation called on RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale.

The CPC delegation also met the Congress's foreign affairs department head, Salman Khurshid, here on Tuesday, with the opposition party asserting that the meeting took place at the request of the visiting delegation and with the government's approval.

The Chinese delegation's meetings triggered a war of words between the BJP and the Congress.

The Congress attacked the BJP, accusing it of showing hypocrisy in its dealings with China and asking whether it has raised the issue of repeated Chinese transgressions during interactions with CPC delegations.

The opposition party alleged that the BJP was rolling out a "red carpet" to China when it is supposed to show "laal aankh (red eyes)".

Reacting to it, the BJP said it held a formal meeting with a Chinese delegation openly, given the "improved" relations between New Delhi and Beijing, unlike the Congress, which, it alleged, "secretly" signed a memorandum of understanding with the neighbouring country's ruling party.

The ruling party also slammed the Congress for raising border issues, saying it has "no locus" to do so as the root of the actual problems with China can be traced back to the time of the first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

"Nevertheless, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has been working to resolve it. And that effort is continuing unabated," BJP national spokesperson Nalin Kohli told PTI Videos.

The Congress' media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera, said his party demands full accountability and complete transparency from the government on its China policy.

"This must include public disclosure of the agenda, outcomes and minutes of all closed-door meetings held between representatives of the CPC and BJP/RSS functionaries," Khera said at a press conference here.

During the Monday meeting, a BJP delegation headed by party general secretary Arun Singh discussed at length "the means to advance inter-party communications between the BJP and the Communist Party of China", BJP's foreign affairs department in-charge Vijay Chauthaiwale said in a post on X.

Khera also slammed the government over the CPC delegation calling on RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Monday, saying "non-state players" should not be allowed to control state policy.

"As far as (CPC delegation) meeting with Hosable is concerned, we have always maintained that these non-state players should not be allowed to control state policy. RSS works behind shadows. It is a non-registered organisation and why should a non-registered organisation, which is ashamed even in coming out openly, is allowed to control state policy and hold these meetings," Khera said.

"What is it that they have to discuss? Culture, I hope. But this is for the BJP-RSS to answer," he added.

Khera said China made claims on the Shaksgam Valley in Jammu and Kashmir hours after the meeting with the BJP leaders here.

India last Friday criticised China's infrastructure development projects in the Shaksgam Valley, saying it reserves the right to take necessary measures to safeguard its interests as it is an Indian territory.

On Monday, China reaffirmed its territorial claims over the Shaksgam Valley, saying its infrastructure projects in the area are "beyond reproach".

On the CPC delegation visiting the BJP headquarters, Khera said there is no problem in any political party meeting or engaging in dialogue with a political party from another country, "but we do have a problem - with BJP's hypocrisy, pretence and deceit".

"For years, the BJP kept shouting that Congress had signed an MoU, and now they themselves are holding meetings. We have a problem with the BJP's intentions, because after these closed-door meetings, the country has to bear the consequences," he said.

Slamming the Congress, BJP national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha said, "It was a process of a formal meeting. A formal meeting takes place when a situation improves. We do it very openly." "We do not secretly sign any such MoU which we can not explain for years," he said, in an apparent reference to the Congress reportedly signing a memorandum of understanding with the Communist Party of China.

The BJP has attacked the Congress on this issue several times, alleging that Rahul Gandhi signed a "secret" MoU with the Communist Party of China in Beijing in 2018 in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

It has also been demanding that the Congress make public the details of the MoU.

Sinha said the meeting with the Chinese delegation took place at the BJP headquarters here because "things have improved".

"Recently, flights (between India and China) resumed. Trade talks are also going on," he said, when asked about the Congress' allegations.

The BJP spokesperson also attacked Rahul Gandhi, saying he lost his right to raise questions on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's foreign policy since he made a baseless claim that Indian soldiers were "thrashed" by Chinese soldiers during the Galwan Valley clash.

"Rahul Gandhi should not be compared with our people," Sinha said.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.