Malkani's line on Nepal sparks row

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 31. Even before the Hrithik Roshan controversy, which led to anti-India rioting in Nepal, has died down, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader has exploded a bombshell prompting the party and the Ministry of External Affairs to rush in with statements denying that they have anything to do with those views.

Mr. K.R. Malkani, a veteran BJP leader and one-time editor of Motherland, a Jan Sangh mouthpiece, which was shut down during the Emergency in 1975, said in a chat with the web edition of India Today that the then King of Nepal had offered to ``accede to India'' during the early Fifties, but Jawaharlal Nehru had declined. He suggested that Nehru had made a ``very serious, very foolish mistake'' as ``he was more concerned about world opinion (usko duniya ki chinta zyada thi)''.

While Mr. Malkani offered no proof of Nehru having said this, he added that the ``offer'' by King Tribhuvan of Nepal was common knowledge at that time. ``We should have accepted the accession of Nepal to India when it was offered to us by King Tribhuvan,'' Mr. Malkani said confirming that what he meant was that if this ``mistake'' had not been made by Nehru, Nepal today would be much like Sikkim, a part of India.

The spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry today said that Mr. Malkhani's remarks ``do not, in any way, reflect the views of the Government of India.'' He asserted that ``India has long- standing, close and friendly relations with Nepal and the Nepalese people based on the fullest respect for each other's sovereignty and national aspirations.''

The Government was eager to ``avoid any misunderstanding and misperception'' and was keen to ``work to strengthen the traditional ties of goodwill and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.''

The BJP was equally apologetic and ready to dissociate itself from Mr. Malkani's views. The party president, Mr. Bangaru Laxman, described Mr. Malkani's views as ``unfortunate'' and added that they ``no way reflect the views of the BJP.''

Elaborating further, he said ``the BJP is committed to strengthening ties of goodwill and friendship between India and Nepal'' while it ``fully respected Nepal's sovereignty and cultural identity.'' Further, Mr. Laxman called upon Nepal to remain ``vigilant'' to ensure that ``nothing is allowed to come in the way of the close and cordial relations between our two countries.''

Mr. Malkani said Nepal had a ``pro-Pakistan tilt'' which was ``very short-sighted.'' His charge was that Nepal thought it was in a better position to deal with India and bargain harder, if it had Pakistan support, and that Pakistanis have a free entry point to India via Nepal.

Mr, Natwar Singh, Congress leader and former diplomat, charged that Mr. Malkani had given ``no proof and no evidence'' for what he had said and there was ``nothing further to comment''.

Expressing concern over the recent events in Nepal, the two Left parties said it was unfortunate that anti-India sentiments had been aroused over the alleged remarks of Mr. Hrithik Roshan.

In a statement here, the CPI(M) and the CPI said that Nepal and India had traditional and historically close ties. ``We are aware that there are certain irritants in Indo-Nepal relations. All the democratic forces in India who wish for harmonious ties between the two neighbouring countries want all outstanding problems between India and Nepal resolved amicably. the problems are not of such a nature which cannot be resolved through joint efforts,'' the statement said.

Nepal protests

KATHMANDU, DEC. 31. Nepal has lodged a strong protest with India today over the remarks of Mr. Malkhani.

``Nepal has lodged a strong protest with India through diplomatic channels over the alleged remarks made by Mr. K.R. Malkani,'' Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Ram Chandra Poudel, told reporters.

- Reuters

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : 2 die in police firing, bomb attack in Nepal
Next     : I'm sorry, says Malkani