Nepal deputy PM Kamal Thapa leaves on personal visit to India

KATHMANDU: Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa today left for India on a three-day personal visit amid tension in bilateral ties due to blockade in southern Nepal district by Indian-origin Madhesi groups over the new constitution.

Thapa will attend a religious programme in Bangalore which is being organised by Art of Living.

This is Thapa's second visit to India, who is also known as a strong pro-Hindu leader of Nepal.

Thapa is also expected to hold meeting with senior leaders of BJP and some high officials in Delhi tomorrow, before wrapping up his visit on Wednesday, a party official said.

Although the details of meetings of the Deputy Prime Minister with Indian leaders is not disclosed yet, he is likely to discuss the tension in bilateral ties over blockade in southern Nepal district by Madhesi groups.

Nepal is reeling under severe fuel crisis and shortage of essentials, including medicine, as the Madhesi parties launched agitation three months ago to protest against the new constitution, which demarcate the country into seven provinces joining some of the southern Nepal's plain districts with hilly regions, an idea strongly opposed by the Madhesi leaders.

During his first visit to India in October, Thapa met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

After the visit by Thapa, Indian officials had agreed to re-route the vehicles carrying essentials and bring them to Nepal from those border points which are less disturbed. This has made possible supply of some 15 to 30 per cent essentials to Nepal from India.