Six CA members led by Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) leader BP Yadav recently met the Dalai Lama in India. Rajkishor Yadav and Asha Kumari Sardar of MPRF, Ishwardayal Mishra of the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP), Bishwendra Paswan of Dalit Janjati Party and Rukmini Chaudhary of the Loktantrik Rastriya Munch were among those who met the Dalai Lama.
In a conversation with Paswan and Chaudhary, the Prime Minister had strongly objected to their meeting with the Dalai Lama.
Nepal reportedly compared the Nobel laureate with Biren Shrestha (Pradhan), the main accused in the brutal murder of Khyati Shrestha.
"You all have committed a serious crime. It´s a crime just like meeting and shaking hands warmly with the main accused in Khyati´s murder (Biren Shrestha)," CA member Raj Kumar Limbu, who was present in the meeting between Paswan, Chaudhary and the PM.
According to Paswan, only a small portion of their conversation with the prime minister has come out. "There are many things we want to make public. We are planning a press meet within a day or two to expose the PM," he said. Limbu echoed him.
Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu has strongly objected the CA members´ meeting with the Dalai Lama, sources said. Senior Chinese diplomats contacted Prime Minister Nepal himself over the matter. "Your visit has put the government in trouble," Chaudhary quoted Nepal as saying.
Nepal had even told Paswan and Chaudhary they might have to face the Chinese Ambassador in person and talk to him. But they flatly rejected to meet the ambassador. "You are the country´s prime minister and you have to deal with the diplomats. We won´t do it," the CA members told the prime minister, according to Chaudhary. "If it is unavoidable, all six of us will meet any diplomat only as a group, not in separate."
The CA members said they heard that a senior Chinese diplomat was also present in the prime minister´s residence during their conversation but they were unable to verify it.
When asked, prime minister´s foreign affairs advisor Rajan Bhattarai and press advisor Bishnu Rijal, said they were unaware of the matter.
The foreign ministry said the reported meeting of the Dalai Lama by the CA members had drawn the ministry´s attention.
"The government had no prior information about the visit and the government strongly disapproves this as a politically incorrect act," Dr Madan Kumar Bhattarai, spokesperson for the ministry, told myrepublica.com.
"Nepal firmly supports One China policy and considers Tibet as an inalienable part of China. So we request any political party, organizations or individuals to kindly consider the government´s policy and act accordingly," he said.
Related story
Whose president, anyway?
