PIL in SC seeks probe into 2008 Congress-China agreement

The plea has been moved by advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha and Editor-in-Chief of Goa Chronicle, Savio Rodrigues. The petitioners argued that despite having a hostile relationship with China, the INC had signed an agreement when it was heading a coalition government and had hidden the facts and details of the agreement from the country.

The plea argued, "The petitioners firmly believe that the nation's security cannot and shouldn't be compromised by any one. Therefore, this petition has been moved under Article 32 of the Constitution of Bharat, which seeks to bring transparency and clarity regarding the agreement signed between the Respondent No. 1 (INC) and the Communist Party of China which is also the de-facto government of People's Republic of China."

The petition pertains to an agreement signed during UPA rule on August 7, 2008, between the INC and the CPC in Beijing for exchanging high-level information and co-operation between them. "The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) also provided the two parties with the "opportunity to consult each other on important bilateral, regional and international developments", said the plea.

The plea, filed against the INC and its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, has also sought details of this 2008 agreement as the Congress party failed to be transparent on a matter of national importance. "True spirit of liberty, equality, and fraternity could be achieved through medium of transparency and proper investigation and just judgment which could be achieved only if the agreement is investigated and secured by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967", said the plea.