No entry for ‘Make in India’ in BJP’s national executive meet, passes made in China

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was caught on the wrong foot after the entry passes to the party’s national executive meet—which is underway at the Talkatora Stadium here in New Delhi—were found to be made in China.

Ironically, amid the tense Doklam standoff between India and China, several top Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionaries and BJP leaders had made impassioned appeals laced with nationalism to boycott Chinese goods and promote use of “swadeshi” products. Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has time and again stressed on Make in India—an initiative launched by the Government of India in 2014 to encourage national as well as multi-national companies to manufacture their products in the country.

On Monday, Liz Mathew, associate editor with the Indian Express, posted the picture of an entry pass that had an inscription in English as well as Chinese. Ironically, Hindi, which is touted by most of the BJP leaders as the national language, was missing. The passes have a ‘Made in China’ logo as well.

Liz wrote on twitter: “This is the backside of entry pass for @BJP4India national executive meet. Made in China.”

Here’s a collection of critical reactions:

The two-day National Executive meeting of BJP which is being attended by over 2,000 delegates including the party’s office-bearers, state chiefs and organisational leaders started on Sunday.