KATHMANDU, Feb 16: Nepal on Tuesday objected to a recent statement by Biplab Kumar Deb, chief minister (CM) of the Indian State of Tripura, in which Deb quoted Indian Home Minister Amit Shah as saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would soon form its government in Nepal.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali confirmed that the Government of Nepal has conveyed its formal objection to the remarks by India's ruling party leader.

"Noted. Formal objection has been already conveyed," Gyawali replied to a Twitter user who earlier drew his attention to the statement.

According to sources at the Nepali Embassy in India, Nepal's ambassador to India, Nilamber Acharya conveyed the government's official objection to Arindam Bagchi, a joint secretary who is in-charge of Nepal and Bhutan affairs at India's Ministry of External Affairs.  

On Saturday, CM of India's Tripura state, Deb said that Bharatiya Janata Party is planning to expand its party to the neighboring countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The Tripura CM while addressing the party workers in Agartala recalled a meeting with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was then BJP national president, during his visit to the state and said, "When the home minister was our party chief, while discussion we said that BJP had come to power in several states."

"In response, the minister (then BJP chief) said that Nepal and Sri Lanka are still left. He said that we have to expand the party to Sri Lanka and Nepal. We have to win there too," Deb added.

Biplab Kumar Deb was addressing his party workers at an event in the state capital of Tripura.

Deb was elected the President of Tripura state unit of BJP in January 2017 replacing Sudhindra Dasgupta who was BJP's longest serving state president. 

Meanwhile, the main opposition Indian National Congress, also took strong exception to the statement by Deb.

 
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