Atal, Rajnath welcome Koirala as Nepal PM

New Delhi, Apr 25 (UNI) The BJP today welcomed the decision by the pro-democracy seven party alliance in Nepal to nominate Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala as Prime Minister even as the party took strong exception to the ''adhoc response'' by the Indian government in handling the issue.

Party stalwart and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP President Rajnath Singh in separate letters to Mr Koirala welcomed the move. While Mr Vajpayee was the first to react soon after the announcement was made and shot off a letter addressing Mr Koirala as ''Prime Minister of Nepal'', the party president hailed the decision expressing the hope that the democracy in the Himalayan Kingdom would function effectively braving ''all the challenges posed by the Maoist elements.'' Mr Vajpayee said the seven party alliance had a historic role to play in building ''a new Nepal which was on the crossroads and take a fundamental shift from its past and maintain a sense of continuity under the experienced leadership of Mr Koirala for achieving a lasting peace and stability for a prosperous future.'' Meanwhile Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh had ''put off'' his visit to the Himalayan Kingdom as a BJP representative in view of the changed political scenario and the the reinstatement of parliament by the King, party spokesman Prakash Javadekar said.

Former Union Minister and party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad, when asked about the the statement of former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh criticising the government led by his own party for ''masterly inaction'' in Nepal, said he could only comment that India's response was ''adhoc and shifting.'' ''The response stemmed from its reluctance to view the problem and the challenges posed to Indian security concerns. The people of Nepal are sovereign to decide their own course but we believe that India should view the problem keeping its own security perceptions in mind.

''The Maoist elements in Nepal were not ready to confine their activities within their territory but wanted to establsh a red-corridor in alliance with naxals active in India,'' he said.

''The sad part was that it was not the Government of India which was running the show but Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury who was 'dictating and delineating' the Nepal policy and he was oblivious to the challenges posed by Maoist elements,'' Mr Prasad said.

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