Nepal PM sees India's hand behind toppling his government

Kathmandu, July 14: In a blunt statement, Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Oli has blamed India for being behind the CPN (Maoist Centre) pulling out support to his government.

"India's role was primarily behind" the pulling out of support by the Maoists, Oli said on Thursday in a conference on National Security in Kathmandu, adding that the process of government change was "not an automatic process but conducted by remote control".

Nepal-India ties took a dip after Oli came into power last October, which was followed by the five-month-long economic blockage on the Nepal-India border by the Madhesi protesters. Oli since the very beginning has been a critic of Indian "high-handedness" in Nepal's internal political affairs.

Nepal's Maoists pulled out support from the government on Tuesday and a no-trust motion was registered by the CPN (Maoist Centre) and Nepali Congress in Parliament against Oli after the latter refused to resign.

Oli said "there was a feast in a five-star hotel" after the Maoist Centre pulled out support.

It was widely reported in Nepali media that Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae "threw a feast" after the Maoist Centre pulled out support to the government on Tuesday evening.

Oli, who now faces a no-confidence motion in Parliament, said he "cannot compromise on national security" in the name of maintaining cordial relationship with neighbours.

"I had never compromised on national interest in any difficult situation; so India used the Nepali Congress and Maoists against my government and are trying to topple it," he said.

Earlier in May, when the Maoists attempted government change, Oli had accused India and recalled Nepal's Ambassador from New Delhi and cancelled the visit of the President to India.

"Maintaining good relations with neighbouring countries is an important aspect of national security. But we cannot jeopardize nationality for its sake," Oli said.

"Neither we think against anyone nor we have spoken against one. We won't let this country be used against others," he said.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' were also invited to the seminar but both leaders opted to boycott it. Hinting at the absence of the two leaders, Oli said the issue of national security was not related to any particular person or party but of the country as a whole.

Taking aim at the Terai protests, Oli maintained the new Constitution had not discriminated against anyone. He added the new Constitution could only be amended as there was no provision for rewriting mentioned in it.

Oli said the government was ready to redraw the federal boundaries as per the demand of the Terai-based political parties. "But such drawings should be justifiable," he said.

IANS