Mumbai, October 17: Prime Minister Narendra modi discussed only “peripheral issues” with Chinese President XI Jinping, but skirted “points of tension” such as border issues and Kashmir, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Maharashtra state Assembly elections, he described the second “informal summit” between modi and XI as nothing more than a” jumlevali baat chit ” (negotiation show).

Modi and XI met at the historic site of Mahabalipuram last weekend after a similar summit in Wuhan last year. It is reported that both leaders spoke on issues of trade and investment.

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“There is no information on whether there was any talk about borders, whether Kashmir was discussed. There seems to have been no conversation on the subject. Tensions-points were not discussed at all, only peripheral issues featured in the talks, ” Singh said.

“Ye toh jumle-wali baat-chit hui, issme koi tap nahin hai (these conversations were just a show, no light at the end),” he said. “The Chinese are very smart and they know exactly how India can be made to slip (pislaya ja sakta hai’). The Indian people also understand that there are no solutions to our problems with China, ” the former Prime Minister added.

Congress leader Kapil Sibal has previously asked modi to show off his “56-inch chest” and raise issues such as Huawei, the land occupied by China in occupied Kashmir by Park, and the invasion of Dokalam with XI Jinping.

“Since XI Jinping supports Imran Khan in article 370, modi JI looks him in the eye at Mamallapuram and say: 1) Vacate 5000 km of land in PoK occupied by China TRANS-Karakorum 2) No Huawei in India for 5G. Show your 56” Ki chhati!”Sibal said.