A three-member delegation of the ruling Nepali Congress party, led by party Joint General Secretary Prakash Sharan Mahat, is all set to leave for India tomorrow at the invitation the southern neighbor’s ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).
The visit is reportedly aimed at improving bilateral as well as diplomatic ties between the two countries. The visiting delegation includes Uday Shamsher JBR and Ajay Chaurasiya, both former state ministers. They are heading to India at the invitation of BJP’s Foreign Affairs chief Vijay Chauthaiwale.
“This is a reciprocal visit to strengthen the relationship between the two parties,” Mahat said.
The delegation is scheduled to meet BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda, National General Secretary Arun Singh, Foreign Affairs chief Chauthaiwale and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Earlier, Chauthaiwa had visited Nepal in the third week of August at the invitation of Nepali Congress Joint General Secretary Mahat.
He met Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal and leaders of most political parties and senior government officials.
The visit comes at a time when ties between the countries have soured since 33-year-old Jaya Singh Dhami fell and disappeared into the Mahakali River on July 30 after the Indian border security forces cut Dhami’s tuin cable.
A government probe team investigated the incident and submitted its report to Delhi via the Embassy of India in Kathmandu on September 6. The report asked for an investigation, punishment to the persons from India’s Sashastra Seema Bal involved in the incident and compensation to the family.
The Indian side, however, has not responded yet.