<p>Nepal's former prime minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda embarked on a three-day India visit on Friday during which he is scheduled to meet top government functionaries and forge an understanding on several topics that remain unresolved between the two neighbouring countries.</p>.<p>Prachanda's Secretariat said he is visiting New Delhi at the invitation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J P Nadda.</p>.<p>The visit is aimed at strengthening party-to-party relationship with BJP, said Ganesh Shah, a senior party leader and Standing Committee member of the CPN (Maoist).</p>.<p>“A common understanding would be forged during my visit to India on several topics that remain unresolved throughout history and it would be focused on resolving the problems,” Prachanda told reporters at the Tribhuvan International Airport before leaving for New Delhi.</p>.<p>Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states -- Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Ties between the two countries came under severe strain after Kathmandu published a new political map in 2020 that showed three Indian territories - Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh - as part of Nepal.</p>.<p>India had reacted sharply, calling it a "unilateral act" and cautioned Kathmandu that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it.</p>.<p>Prachanda is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday before returning to Nepal, the Kathmandu Post reported. During his India visit, the Nepalese leader is also scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and BJP president Nadda, it said.</p>.<p>However, Shah said, "It is not certain whether Prachanda will meet Prime Minister Modi or not.”</p>.<p>"I am excited to visit India. This is my goodwill visit," the Kathmandu Post report quoted Prachanda as saying.</p>.<p>The Maoist leader's visit comes two days after he held extensive talks with the head of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party Liu Jianchao in Kathmandu. Prachanda, however, said his visit to India has no connection with the visit by the Chinese leader, the report said.</p>.<p>Prachanda's visit was discussed in the standing committee meeting held on Thursday evening. The meeting concluded that the visit would help further strengthen Nepal-India relations, My Republica website reported.</p>.<p>Speaking to journalists at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Prachanda said that his visit to India would be crucial for Nepal, news website nepallivetoday.com reported.</p>.<p>Prachanda claimed his visit will focus on strengthening Nepal-India relations. He said his visit was also to enhance the relationship between the BJP and the Maoist Centre, the report said.</p>
<p>Nepal's former prime minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda embarked on a three-day India visit on Friday during which he is scheduled to meet top government functionaries and forge an understanding on several topics that remain unresolved between the two neighbouring countries.</p>.<p>Prachanda's Secretariat said he is visiting New Delhi at the invitation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J P Nadda.</p>.<p>The visit is aimed at strengthening party-to-party relationship with BJP, said Ganesh Shah, a senior party leader and Standing Committee member of the CPN (Maoist).</p>.<p>“A common understanding would be forged during my visit to India on several topics that remain unresolved throughout history and it would be focused on resolving the problems,” Prachanda told reporters at the Tribhuvan International Airport before leaving for New Delhi.</p>.<p>Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states -- Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Ties between the two countries came under severe strain after Kathmandu published a new political map in 2020 that showed three Indian territories - Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh - as part of Nepal.</p>.<p>India had reacted sharply, calling it a "unilateral act" and cautioned Kathmandu that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it.</p>.<p>Prachanda is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday before returning to Nepal, the Kathmandu Post reported. During his India visit, the Nepalese leader is also scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and BJP president Nadda, it said.</p>.<p>However, Shah said, "It is not certain whether Prachanda will meet Prime Minister Modi or not.”</p>.<p>"I am excited to visit India. This is my goodwill visit," the Kathmandu Post report quoted Prachanda as saying.</p>.<p>The Maoist leader's visit comes two days after he held extensive talks with the head of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party Liu Jianchao in Kathmandu. Prachanda, however, said his visit to India has no connection with the visit by the Chinese leader, the report said.</p>.<p>Prachanda's visit was discussed in the standing committee meeting held on Thursday evening. The meeting concluded that the visit would help further strengthen Nepal-India relations, My Republica website reported.</p>.<p>Speaking to journalists at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Prachanda said that his visit to India would be crucial for Nepal, news website nepallivetoday.com reported.</p>.<p>Prachanda claimed his visit will focus on strengthening Nepal-India relations. He said his visit was also to enhance the relationship between the BJP and the Maoist Centre, the report said.</p>