NEW DELHI: In what could be a balm to the battered relation between India and Nepal, New Delhi has made a proposal offering help in reconstructing the earthquake-battered country. The offer was made during the visit of Nepal’s new Prime Minister Pushpa Dahal Prachanda’s envoy.
Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal and Envoy of the country’s Prime Minister Bimalendra Nidhi arrived in India on Thursday. He met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday.
Summing up the buzz around the visit, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted: “First visitor of the new Government in Nepal! EAM meets Special Envoy and Deputy PM Bimalendra Nidhi in Delhi.” The visit serves as an insight into the priorities of the new government.
According to sources, Nidhi shared the vision of the new government as the implementation of the Constitution to promote political stability in the country and focusing on addressing all issues through consensus.
“Swaraj appreciated the initiative of Prime Minister Prachanda to send his Special Envoy to India. She said that India stands ready to work closely with the new government and was ready to welcome him in India soon,” sources said.
Prachanda’s election is being seen as one orchestrated by India in hopes of a favourable government in the Himalayan nation, acting as a buffering state against China. The Indian establishment was miffed as the Oli government turned a deaf ear to its concerns regarding Madhesis and whipped up an anti-India sentiment in the country.
Oli had publicly told Indian diplomats not to “interfere in Nepal’s internal politics” and had accused India of trying to destabilise his government.
Oli also took the opportunity provided by the economic blockade to ink a pact with Beijing to allow the transit of its goods, breaking India’s monopoly on its third party trade.