India not against republican Nepal - Menon

kiran gautam /ktm

Contrary to Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's assertion that the international community would not accept the ouster of King Gyanendra before the November election, a senior Maoist leader CP Gajurel claims that India has said it would not object.Chandra Prakash Gajurel, in charge of the Maoists' foreign affairs, says Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, who visited Nepal last week, had told his party that India left the decision to the ruling eight parties.'The Indian foreign secretary had a long meeting with our party chairman Prachanda,' Gajurel told this blog on Wednesday, a day after the Maoists left the government and announced they would oppose the November election.'He did not say any of our demands were unjust.

'Koirala has ruled out scrapping the monarchy through a parliamentary vote, saying since the current house is not an elected one, such a move would not be considered legitimate by the international community.

'The main obstruction to declaring Nepal a republic before the election seems to come from Koirala himself,' Gajurel said.'We have been observing a deepening of ties between him and the palace.'In the past, Koirala heeded India's advice. But now we have been seeing him tilting towards the palace.'