Major Indian political parties on Wednesday have asked the Indian government to reconsider its decision to resume arms supply to Nepal and not do anything that would ‘legitimise’ the royal takeover of February 1, reports said.
A meeting of ‘Nepal Democracy Solidarity Committee (India)’, comprising nine major political parties including the Left, in New Delhi decided to organise a convention to seek immediate restoration of multi-party democracy in the Himalayan Kingdom, besides other issues, official PTI news agency reported.
The convention, to be held in the Indian capital on August 26 is likely to be attended among others by leaders of the seven-party alliance of Nepal, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury and NCP’s D P Tripathi said.
The parties also decided to establish a forum called ‘Parliamentarians for Democracy in Nepal’ to mobilise national and international opinion on the issue during the ongoing monsoon Session of Parliament.
Replying to questions, Yechury and Tripathi said, “our demand regarding stoppage of arms supply to Nepal remains the same. We were earlier told by the (Indian) government that only those defence equipment which were in the pipeline were being sent to Kathmandu.
Along with the US and UK, India—the biggest arms supplier to Nepal—has “put on hold” its military supplies to Nepal in the aftermath of the royal takeover. Indian authorities later said ‘non-lethal’ military supplies to Nepal have resumed.
Referring to the recent Indo-US initiative on democracy, Yechury said, “we have expressed our concern … And decided to ask the government that US should be given no space to interfere in Nepal” under this initiative as it would not be in the interests of India.
The party leaders said several Nepali citizens, who recently crossed over to India through the open borders for medical treatment, were being “harassed” by the police especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on suspicion of being Maoists. JD (S) leader Surendra Mohan alleged that at least two Indian doctors were arrested and charged with sedition for having treated some Nepali citizens, who the police suspected were Maoists and demanded their immediate release and withdrawal of cases against them.
Yechury and Tripathi said the Solidarity Committee would shortly meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Shivraj Patil to raise these issues.
They wanted the government to protect the Nepali citizens from such harassment.
The Committee was set up by the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, NCP, Forward Bloc, RSP, CPI(ML) Liberation, Samajwadi Janata Party, JD(S) and the Socialist Front, soon after the royal move early this year. Veteran leftist leader, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, is its chairman of the committee.