Govt briefs Oppn leaders on easing of Dokalam standoff

New Delhi: The government on Monday briefed the opposition leaders on the easing of Dokalam border standoff with China with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj speaking to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders.

The Congress, on its part, welcomed and supported the understanding between India and China to de-escalate the border tension at Dokalam in the Sikkim sector.

Sources said Swaraj called up Singh and Gandhi, besides Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and deputy leader Anand Sharma.

Sources said Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar also called up Sharma separately and informed him about the current status and the easing of border tensions at Dokalam.

Sharma confirmed that the government has briefed Congress leaders about the Dokalam standoff ahead of the BRICS summit.

"This understanding that has been reached is a positive development which we support," Sharma said.

Asked about the development at the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said this is a matter of national security but one should not go into a rejoicing mode.

"There would be nobody happier than my party, than me, if what has just been stated by you, is not the momentary truth but the stable longer term or at least medium truth. However, just like we should not go into panic mode as soon as something happens, we should not go into rejoicing mode the moment it is received," he said.