NEW DELHI: Even as China seemed to be wading into Nepal’s latest political crisis, India sought to maintain a safe distance from it saying Thursday that the developments this week in Kathmandu, triggered by PM K P Oli’s decision to dissolve Parliament, were Nepal’s internal affairs.
In what was its first reaction to the turmoil in Nepal, the foreign ministry also said that as a neighbour and well-wisher, India will continue to support Nepal and its people in moving forward on the path of peace, prosperity and development.
“We have noted the recent political developments in Nepal. These are internal matters for Nepal to decide as per its democratic process,” said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.
Official sources also said the crisis which has already seen the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) effectively split into two is unlikely to come in the way of India’s development work in Nepal. After Covid-19, and the recent thaw in ties that saw resumption of bilateral meetings even as differences over the Kalapani border issue remained, India had been looking to provide a fillip to its economic and trade ties with Nepal.
After the visit by foreign secretary Harsh Shringla, the commerce and energy secretaries too had met in quick succession virtually to expedite work on Indian projects in Nepal. Official sources said bilateral engagements will continue with Nepal even if not at the high level.
India’s official reaction was in stark contrast to China’s efforts to apparently broker a truce between the Oli and P K Dahal Prachanda factions. Chinese ambassador Hou Yanqi has so far met Nepal President B D Bhandari and Dahal since Oli dissolved Parliament on Sunday.
A leader considered close to Dahal said Thursday that the NCP co-chair had discussed “bilateral concerns” with Hou who has worked relentlessly to prevent a split in the party. The Kathmandu Post quoted a member of the Prachanda’s secretariat as saying that “discussions must have revolved around contemporary political developments.”
In May this year and again in July, Hou held a series of meetings with Bhandari, Oli, Dahal and other NCP leaders as Oli faced pressure to step down.
While China had so far worked to garner support for Oli, it's main goal now seems to be to ensure that the Communist alliance remain intact going into the elections next year.
Several leaders, as reports from Kathmandu said, had termed the Chinese envoy’s series of meetings with the ruling party leaders as interference in Nepal’s internal political affairs.
Oli was earlier removed from the post of party’s chairman on Tuesday by a central committee meeting of the Prachanda-led faction, which also decided to take disciplinary action against him for dissolving the House of Representatives “unconstitutionally”.