'Congress High Command Compelled To Think Of Other Alternatives': BJP's Bommai On K'taka CM Drama

India Today's ace correspondent Mausmi Singh reports on the meeting between senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid and a Chinese Communist Party delegation, which was held earlier today as a courtesy call. According to Mausmi Singh, 'in the morning, Salman Khurshid, the former Foreign Affairs Minister, you know, who also heads the Foreign Affairs Department of the Congress, he met this delegation at the behest of the CPC, apparently as a goodwill gesture, as a courtesy call.' The meeting comes just hours after Congress's Pawan Khera criticised the BJP for their interaction with the same delegation, raising questions about consistency in Congress's approach. Mausmi Singh highlights that such diplomatic meetings are routine protocol when foreign political delegations visit India.

This report highlights the status of the Shaksgam valley, asserting that it is sovereign Indian territory currently under illegal occupation. The speaker notes, 'It's Indian territory illegally in Pakistani occupation and illegally given to China in 1963.' The transcript details how approximately 5,180 square kilometres of land in Jammu and Kashmir was ceded by Pakistan to China. It further clarifies that the northern areas, including Gilgit and Baltistan, are legally part of Ladakh and have been under illegal Pakistani control since 1947. The programme addresses claims made by the Chinese foreign ministry regarding the sovereignty of the region, labelling them as inaccurate. The discussion emphasizes that despite Chinese activity in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the region remains an integral part of India. The speaker concludes by reiterating that the Shaksgam valley and the surrounding northern areas are legally Indian, challenging the administrative distinctions attempted by Pakistan.

As campaigning for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections concludes, India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai travels to the Shiv Sena heartland of Worli to gauge the public mood ahead of the local body elections.

On this Special Report, the focus is on the escalating political and diplomatic tension between India and China over the Shaksgam Valley. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, 'We have never recognized the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement that happened in 1963,' reiterating that the Shaksgam Valley is Indian territory. The bulletin highlights the domestic political storm triggered by a high-level meeting between a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) delegation, led by Vice Minister Sun Haiyan, and leaders of the BJP and RSS. While the government maintains these were courtesy calls to advance inter-party communication, the Congress party has questioned the timing of such engagements amidst fresh Chinese territorial claims and infrastructure construction in the region. The programme explores India's firm rejection of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the strategic challenges posed by Beijing's activities in occupied territories.