Indian political parties spar over alliances and foreign meetings

A delegation from China's Communist Party met with India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, criticized the meeting as hypocritical.

Separately, there is political conflict in the state of Maharashtra. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis called for the immediate removal of a local official after the BJP formed an alliance with the Congress party and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in a municipal body. The BJP and Congress are also arguing over the historical role of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in the reconstruction of the Somnath temple.