JOIN USNepalese Defence Minister Bhim Rawal on Saturday accused Nepal’s just-recalled envoy to India of trying to topple Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s government in Kathmandu.
With the move, Nepal’s internal politics has once again cast a shadow on its relations with India.
Kathmandu not only called off Nepalese President Vidya Devi Bhandari’s proposed visit to India, but also recalled its envoy to New Delhi, Deep Kumar Upadhyay, accusing him of working against the interests of Nepal. India, however, maintained that it had no role in the recent internal political developments in Nepal, but would keep watch on the evolving situation in the neighbouring country.
The twin moves by Kathmandu came shortly after Oli’s government in Nepal appeared to be threatened by a crack in the ruling coalition.
Though Oli survived the crisis for now, a section of political establishment in Kathmandu once again started blaming India for triggering instability in the neighbourhood.
Upadhyay was also accused of working with New Delhi for destabilising the Oli government.
“Envoys should follow government’s directives and maintain diplomatic decorum,” Rawal was quoted by PTI in a report from Kathmandu.
Reports in Nepalese media on Friday and Saturday indicated that Kathmandu’s envoy to New Delhi had opposed Oli government’s decision to call off the presidential visit to India. Bhandari was expected to commence her maiden visit to India as Nepalese president on Monday.
Apart from meeting her counterpart Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi, she was scheduled to visit Simhasth Kumbh at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
Upadhyay has been accused of being involved in toppling the government, breaching his jurisdiction without informing the government and visiting some western Nepal districts accompanying India’s ambassador to Nepal, Ranjit Rae, the PTI quoted Rawal, who is also a deputy prime minister.
Kamal Thapa, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Nepal, however, said that recall of Kathmandu’s envoy to New Delhi and cancellation of President Bhandari’s visit to India were not related.
Thapa, according to Himalayan Times published from Kathmandu, cited 4 main reasons for cancellation of the visit — recent political developments in Nepal, president’s scheduled engagement in the nation to present the government policy and programme at House, lack of preparations and a natural disaster in Ujjain.