Nepali Ambassador to India briefs PM about India’s concerns; MoFA grills Indian envoy

Kathmandu / September 25: Nepali Ambassador to India, Deep Kumar Upadhyaya, on Friday called on Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and briefed him about his meeting with top officials of Indian government regarding the ongoing agitation in Tarai-Madhes region of the country and its effects.

Ambassador Upadhyaya, who arrived here from New Delhi today itself, informed the Prime Minister about comments heard in the public regarding the Tarai-Madhes agitation, he said talking to the Rastriya Samachar Samiti after the meeting.

Ambassador Upadhyays is also scheduled to call on President Ram Baran Yadav and top leaders of major political parties.

It may be noted that the Tarai-Madhes region is gripped by political unrest for the past one month following the Madhes-centric political parties’ protests against demarcation of federal units in the new constitution.

A large number of goods-laden containers en route to Nepal from India are left stranded at the Nepal-India border points due to the agitation.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has asked the Ambassador of India to Nepal, Ranjit Rae, for clarification over the apparent embargo of petroleum-products supply.

Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs Adhikari summoned Rae to the Singhadurbar based ministry on Friday and sought explanation for the reason behind stopping supply of petro-products.

Rae had reached Singhadurbar at three in the afternoon after being summoned by the Ministry. At the meeting, Adhikari had forwarded hints at Rae that the halt of supplies looked pre-meditated.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Mahendra Bahadur Pandey is currently in New York representing Nepal in the United Nations General Assembly. The MoFA is preparing to issue an official presser on this matter. India seems unhappy on promulgation of new constitution neglecting its pressure to address the concerns of agitating parties. The southern neighbor is said to be interfering the domestic matter of Nepal and criticized heavily even in social media. It is criticized for imposing indirect blockade to the country.