A fresh political controversy has emerged over China’s claims on India’s Shaksgam Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, with the Congress criticizing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for holding meetings with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate questioned the optics of the engagement, highlighting China’s “encroachment” and ongoing border disputes. Shrinate pointed out that while construction projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are underway in the Shaksgam Valley, BJP leaders were meeting CCP officials in Delhi. She called the situation “treason against the country,” citing China’s past support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, the Galwan clash, and settlement activities in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.
India has consistently maintained that the Shaksgam Valley, a 5,200 sq km area north of the Karakoram watershed, is Indian territory. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed that India does not recognize the 1963 China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement or CPEC, and condemned China’s infrastructure developments in the region.
The BJP defended the meeting as an intra-party dialogue, led by Vijay Chauthaiwale, and attended by Chinese Vice Minister Sun Haiyan and Ambassador Xu Feihong, aimed at strengthening inter-party communication.
The controversy evokes memories of past clashes over India-China relations, including the BJP’s criticism of Congress in 2008 and during the Doklam standoff, highlighting the enduring sensitivity of Sino-Indian engagements in disputed territories.