KATHMANDU, July 15: A day after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli accused the southern neighbor India of creating an artificial Ayodhya by manipulating the cultural facts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Tuesday clarified that the remarks made by Prime Minister Oli “are not linked to any political subject and have no intention at all to hurt the feelings and sentiments of anyone.”

Issuing a press statement, the MoFA said that the government's attention was drawn to the various interpretations of the remarks made yesterday by Prime Minister Oli during the 207th birth anniversary celebration of Adikavi Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, the author of the Ramayana in the Nepali language.

"The remarks made by the Prime Minister are not linked to any political subject and have no intention at all to hurt the feelings and sentiments of anyone," reads the press statement.

As there have been several myths and references about Shree Ram and the places associated with him, the Prime Minister was simply highlighting the importance of further studies and research on the vast cultural geography the Ramayana represents to obtain facts about Shree Ram, Ramayana and the various places linked to this rich civilization, the statement said.

The clarification comes at a time when there is public outcry in Nepal and India against Oli over his remarks on Ayodhya. The ministry said that the remarks were not meant to debase the significance of Ayodhya and the cultural value it bears.

"It may be underlined that the tradition of celebrating Bibaha Panchami where a marriage procession comes from Ayodhya, India, to Janakpur, Nepal takes place every year. The Prime Ministers of Nepal and India launched the Ramayana Circuit in May 2018, of which Janakpur-Ayodhya Passenger Bus Service is an important component. These facts signify the bond of time honoured cultural affinity between our two countries and peoples," the ministry further said in the statement.

 
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