Row over Prachanda`s visit to China

Kathmandu, Aug 24: Maoist leader Prachanda's first foreign trip as Prime Minster to Beijing has sparked a row in Nepal, with the opposition Nepali Congress questioning his visit to China ahead of India, which had "invited him first".

Prachanda's five-day official visit to Beijing is in a sharp departure ...

Nepali Congress general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi criticised the newly-elected Prime Minister for visiting China to attend the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics at a time when thousands of people have been rendered homeless due to widespread floods in Nepal.

Speaking at a function in the capital yesterday, he said the Prime Minister should have spent 4-5 days to comfort the flood victims, who are not getting adequate relief materials, instead of visiting China to watch the closing ceremony of the Olympic.

Nidhi also stressed that it was India, which invited him first for the visit, but Prachanda went to China without accepting or rejecting the Indian invitation.

Prachandas predecessor G P Koirala had made New Delhi his first port of call abroad after assuming the reins of government.

Rejecting the allegation, Maoist Minister for Law and Justice Dev Gurung said Prachanda's visit to China cannot be regarded as directed against India.

He said the Maoist-led government has vowed to follow the policy of "equidistance" between India and China.

The former insurgents have earlier accused India of trying to prevent the Maoists from forming the government in Nepal, and hinting that New Delhi favoured his predecessor Koirala's Nepali Congress party.

Bureau Report