Nepal feelers: King wants to meet PM in Jakarta

In the midst of all the action on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s weekend visit to India, the government has got feelers from Nep...

In the midst of all the action on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s weekend visit to India, the government has got feelers from Nepal that King Gyanendra would like to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the margins of the Asian-African summit at Jakarta next week.

The summit, which is being organised to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Bandung meet held in 1955 to show Afro-Asian solidarity, will be held in Jakarta on October 22-24. The Prime Minister, sources said, will go for the summit but a decision has still not been taken on a meeting with Gyanendra.

Though Kathmandu is yet to make a formal request, Nepal’s Ambassador in India, Karna Dhoj Adhikary, is said to have contacted the Ministry of External Affairs to explore the possibility of a meeting. South Block officials, however, maintained that they were still awaiting an official request.

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When contacted, Adhikary told The Indian Express that it was only a ‘‘natural desire’’ of the Nepal King to meet the Prime Minister if both leaders are going to be present at the same venue. ‘‘It is my job to keep in touch with the government of India and work out details.’’

Political developments in Nepal were an important consideration for India when it decided against attending the SAARC Summit in Dhaka. King Gyanendra dismissed the Sher Bahadur Deuba government and declared a state of emergency in Nepal on February 1, barely a week before the summit.

India, which criticised the King’s moves, has been demanding restoration of democracy beginning with the release of political prisoners. It has suspended military aid to Nepal and has been working closely with the US and the UK in the matter.

Police personnel seen to control the situation during a massive protest over the statehood demand and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, in Leh on Wednesday. (ANI Video Grab)

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