Delhi calls envoy home for talks as Kathmandu hots up

The King’s action flies in the face of his assurances given to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the Afro-Asian summit in Jakarta.

The political parties of Nepal were to announce their plans on May 1. Now, Wednesday’s arrests, including that of Deuba on graft charges, are seen as a direct attempt to thwart this effort.

Mukherjee’s trip to New Delhi coincides with US plans to send Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Christina Rocca, to Nepal next month. Rocca’s visit, if finalised, will be the first by a high ranking US official since February 1, when the King decleared emergency.

Washington and New Delhi have been working closely on applying pressure on the King to lift restrictions on political leaders and lift emergency.

Rocca, in fact, was here last month to discuss the situation in Nepal with India. While US has attached urgency to the need to deal with the Maoist violence, it encouraged the restoration of multi-party democracy in Nepal.

In this backdrop, sources said, Mukherjee will brief officials on the situation in Nepal and provide his assessment of the efforts made by the political parties.

To Kathmandu’s disadvantage, the crackdown came at a time when hectic consultations were on in New Delhi on the resumption of non-lethal military aid to Nepal.

With the Army favouring resumption of military supplies, there appeared to be a re-evaluation in New Delhi, but the King’s latest actions have cast a shadow on the prospects.

Sources pointed out that the political parties in Nepal were currently against India resuming any sort of military supplies and all these aspects will have to be taken into account before a decision is made.

With three months coming to an end tomorrow since the King declared emergency, there are indications he could lift emergency from some areas. New Delhi, however, is taking nothing for certain.