Nepal President pays homage to Tagore

Santiniketan (WB) Jan 29 (PTI) Nepal President RamBaran Yadav today underlined the similarity in culturesbetween his country and India during a visit here to payhomage to Rabindranath Tagore.

An admirer of the Nobel laureate, Yadav reached theVisva Bharati University complex founded by Tagore, in an IAFhelicopter at 11 am today.

Stringent security measures were in place as thePresident, accompanied by his daughter and daughter-in-law,visited the heritage complex � Kach Mandir, Chhatimtala,Santiniketan Bari and Uttarayan complex. He also visited themuseum.

Addressing the media, Yadav said, "Though we belong todifferent countries there is much similarity between theculture of both the nations. The people of Nepal too respectTagore and his works. I spent long time in Bengal. I feel veryhappy to be here again."

Skirting questions on the Maoist problem in India, thePresident said, "Violence is always and everywhere undesired.

I am a follower of non-violence propagated by Gandhiji."

Media persons alleged that they were prevented fromdischarging their duty freely and a minor scuffle broke outbetween the police and reporters in front of Kach Mandir.

Yadav is on a four-day visit to West Bengal endingtomorrow.