Communist Party of China delegation meets RSS leadership in Delhi a day after talks with BJP
New Delhi: A delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday met senior leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) at its headquarters, Keshav Kunj, in Delhi, a day after holding talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership in the Capital.
Describing the meeting as a “courtesy call”, a senior RSS functionary said the request for the interaction had come from the Chinese side and that there was no specific agenda. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was not present at the meeting as he was travelling, the functionary added, The Indian Express reported.
The interaction is significant in the context of the limited engagement between the RSS and Chinese representatives in recent years. During Bhagwat’s lecture series in August last year, the RSS had avoided inviting Chinese diplomats, even as representatives from several other countries attended. At the time, the decision was linked to Operation Sindoor, following which neither Pakistan nor China was invited.
The CPC delegation’s meeting with the RSS followed its interaction with the BJP leadership on Monday, where discussions focused on advancing inter-party communication between the two political organisations. According to party sources, BJP leaders with a significant interface with the RSS were also part of Monday’s discussions.
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The Indian Express reported quoting sources that this was likely the first such engagement between the BJP and the CPC since the BJP came to power in 2014. The last similar interaction reportedly took place in 2009, when the BJP was led by its then president, Nitin Gadkari. Gadkari had also visited China in 2011 as part of an engagement with the CPC, according to insiders.
BJP leaders publicly confirmed Monday’s meeting through posts on social media. BJP foreign affairs department in-charge Vijay Chauthaiwale said a CPC delegation led by Sun Haiyan, Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC, visited the BJP headquarters, where discussions were held on advancing inter-party communication. Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong was also part of the delegation.
BJP national secretary Arun Singh, who led the BJP delegation, said the meeting focused on enhancing communication and interaction between the BJP and the CPC.
The outreach comes even as the BJP has repeatedly criticised the Congress over its past engagements with the CPC, citing meetings and memoranda of understanding between the two parties.
While both the BJP and the RSS have described the current engagements as limited and exploratory, the CPC delegation’s meetings with the ruling party and its ideological parent organisation indicate an effort to broaden political channels of communication amid an otherwise strained India-China relationship.
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Education first: Nanded woman appears for Class 12 exam with her 10-day-old baby
Nanded (Maharashtra) (PTI): A woman carried her 10-day-old baby while appearing for her Class 12 Maharashtra board examination in Nanded city, prompting authorities to set up a special mother-friendly facility at the exam centre, officials said.
Shital Chandrakant Chitte (21) arrived at the centre on Wednesday for her Political Science exam with her newborn. Earlier, just two days after delivery, she had also appeared for the English exam on February 10, accompanied by her sister.
Appreciating her determination towards education, the People's College authorities created a dedicated 'Matrusneh Kaksha' (mother-friendly room) and arranged a cradle for the baby, allowing Chitte to write her exam while her child rested.
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Married two years ago, Chitte, a student of Shri Basweshwar College here, said she had no one at home to look after the baby as her husband leaves for work during the day.
With the Class 12 examination crucial for her future, she chose not to miss it, and her family has supported her decision to continue her education, Chitte said.
Nanded education officer Madhav Salgar appreciated the college's move to form a separate facility for the student during the exam.
"Henceforth, we, on behalf of the administration, will make arrangements at exam centres for such students to motivate them," he told PTI.
Maharashtra board's Latur divisional president Sudhakar Telang claimed this is the first such initiative in the state.
The Maharashtra board's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations began on February 10 and are being conducted smoothly at the centre, where 861 candidates are appearing.
