Chinese embassy’s letter to MPs triggers sharp reactions

NEW DELHI: A letter written by the Chinese embassy to several Indian lawmakers for attending a reception hosted by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile triggered sharp political reactions on Friday, with a prominent parliamentarian slamming the mission for commenting on a matter in which it does not have a locus standi.

At least six MPs from various political parties attended the dinner reception in Delhi last week. The Chinese embassy, in a letter to some of the members of the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, expressed concern over their attendance at the event and asked them to refrain from providing support to Tibetan forces. Sujeet Kumar, the convenor of the forum, said the Chinese embassy has no locus standi to write to an Indian MP.

There was no immediate reaction from the government on the issue. Generally, India does not approve of any foreign embassy commenting on the country’s internal matters.

The Chinese embassy’s letter came in the backdrop of strain in ties between the two countries following the eastern Ladakh border row. Kumar, a BJD MP, said he himself has not received the letter but several other members of Parliament have got it.

“I personally treat the letter with the contempt it deserves. It is not the first time the embassy has written to me, it has written to me several times. The embassy does not have any locus standi to write to an Indian parliamentarian. If it had any issue, it could have written to the Ministry of External Affairs. It has violated the protocol,” he told.

Underlining that the meeting was not a political engagement, Kumar said it was aimed at promoting cultural and trade ties.