“We have nothing within our knowledge to contradict him (Yang). During negotiations (at NSG meeting), something may have occurred. But ant bhala to sab bhala (all’s well that ends well),” said AICC spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed. China was very much part of the “consensus” behind the waiver, he said.

The Indian Express had first reported that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had not responded to Yang’s request for an appointment and no meeting was possible the next day. Both the Congress and the MEA said today there was no meeting “scheduled.”

The party issued a statement underlining its “long-standing relationship” with the Chinese Communist Party that had “grown from strength to strength.” Citing Sonia’s Olympics visit, it said both parties had “signed an MoU for exchange of leadership development and programmes as part of party-to-party contact.”

This comes days after National Security Advisor M K Narayanan said that New Delhi would convey its “disappointment” to China over the latter’s stance at Vienna.

Sources, however, have confirmed that Yang did seek an appointment and could not be accommodated. Party leaders said this was because Sonia was scheduled to address two public rallies in Rajasthan that day. “There was no snub, the request came way too late,” said a senior Congress leader.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister hosted a lunch for External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his “nuclear deal team.” While the PM congratulated the team for its “great job,” Mukherjee returned the compliment quoting Dryden: “Beware the fury of a patient man”.