Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayankaji Shrestha expressed dissatisfaction over the meetings between President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai with Indian envoy to Nepal Jayanta Prasad and other “suspicious” persons without prior knowledge of MoFA.[break]
Shrestha said Yadav and Bhattarai breached “diplomatic” code by holding such “clandestine” meetings. “As a foreign minister, I am not satisfied with the kind of activities our head of the state and the head of the government are indulged in. Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not satisfied,” he told Republica.
Shrestha said both the president and prime minister had demonstrated “diplomatic indecency” by allowing some “suspicious” persons to mediate their meeting recently. “The president and the prime minister invited Amaresh Singh to their meetings. How can they sit together with him?” he asked.
The remarks from a sitting minister comes in the wake of criticisms from various quarters that Indian envoy was lately playing an “unusually active” role in Nepali politics. Political observers in Nepal have linked senior Congress (I) leader Karan Singh´s recent visit to Nepal as a part of India´s overtures to exert “undue influence” on political actors in Nepal. "The activities of the president and the prime minister have made one wonder if Nepali leaders can a decision concerning their country on their own," he further said.
MoFA officials said they have credible information about the president and the prime minister holding a series of “clandestine” meetings with Indian envoy to Nepal Jayanta Prasad over the past few weeks. "Indian envoy held meetings with the prime minister and the president on the day the budget was unveiled. He continued holding meetings with them even before and after the budget was unveiled," Shrestha claimed.
Shrestha said he will now submit a protest letter to the president. "I have twice reminded the president but he did not pay heed. I will now formally ask him to avoid such meetings," he further said.
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