Kathmandu: Nepal has rubbished rumours of plans to expel Indian Ambassador Ranjit Rae following the cancellation of President Bidhya Devi Bhandrai's visit to New Delhi.
Rumours were circulation in Kathmandu from Sunday that the government was preparing to declare Rae, who was said to have breached several diplomatic norms - including the Vienna Convention - persona non-grata (PNG), meaninging his diplomatic immunity would be withdrawn.
The rumours gained ground after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli cancelled Bhandarai's visit and recalled Nepal's Ambassador to India Deep Kumar Uphadhya apparently in retaliation of India's supposed hand in toppling his government.
After some media outlets reported that a closed door meeting at Oli's residence discussed possibility of declaring Rae PNG, this simultaneously created turmoil in New Delhi and Kathmandu prompting Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa to issue a statement on Sunday evening.
"Some media speculation regarding Nepal government mulling expulsion of Indian Ambassador Rae is baseless and is aimed at damaging Nepal-India relations," the statement said.
The cancellation of Nepal President’s visit to India and the government's decision to call back its ambassador in New Delhi for non-cooperation and anti-government activities made headlines in major newspapers here. Upadhyaya had confronted Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli regarding the cancellation of President Bhandari's scheduled visit to India, government sources had said.
He has also been accused of visiting western districts of the country accompanying Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae without informing the government.
Hours after the government cancelled Bhandari's proposed visit to India yesterday, "Ambassador Upadhyaya telephoned the prime minister to tell him that unilateral cancellation of the visit may send negative message, which made the prime minister angry and the decision was taken to call him back," the Kantipur daily claimed.
The government was not satisfied with the performance of Upadhyaya and he was accused of not playing any role to protect national interest during the crisis period or the border blockade, the Nagarik daily said.
The government cancelled Bhandari's India visit in protest against "India's intervention in the internal affairs of Nepal," reported the daily.
On Wednesday, Bhandari had said the aim of her visit to India was to "to create goodwill and clear misunderstanding". Upadhyaya has been also been accused of involvement in trying to topple the Oli government.
On Thursday, Oli survived a threat to his government after a U-turn by Prachanda-led UCPN-Maoist which decided not to withdraw support to him "for the time being". Oli suddenly took the decision to cancel the president's visit alleging that India played a role in attempting to change the government in Nepal, the Nagarik report said.
The Himalayan Times said when Upadhyaya expressed his displeasure over the cancellation of the president's visit in a phone conversation with Oli, the premier asked him to quit if he had any policy-related differences with the government.
The visit to India would have been Bhandari's first foreign trip after assuming office in October. She was also scheduled to participate in a 'Shahi Snan' in Ujjain's Simhastha Kumbh on May 14.
