Mani Shankar Aiyar says India foisting orders on Nepal, Sushma Swaraj hits back

NEW DELHI: Congress member Mani Shankar Aiyar today attacked the government in Rajya Sabha over the Nepal issue, alleging that India was trying to foist orders on it in the garb of advice, evoking a sharp reaction from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

He also suggested that individual political leaders, including those from the opposition like Karan Singh of Congress, should convey to Nepal that the "blockade is the doing of Modi government and not of India".

During a debate on India-Nepal relations, he also claimed that it seemed that the government's policy did not seem to be guided by the External Affairs whose statements reflect a "sweet reasonableness" but someone "Who is responsible for this kind of bad behaviour".

He asked Swaraj as to "who was bahaving like a authoritarian vis-a-vis her which was forcing her to behave like an authoritarian with regard to a neighbouring country".

Reacting sharply to his remarks, Swaraj said Aiyar has the "habit of creating rifts", which he had tried to do with regard to relations with Nepal as well as her ties with her leaders.