Cong tells govt to act against Nepal FM channels beaming anti-India content across border

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday said that China has been propagating a vilification campaign across Nepal against India to convince that India is Nepal's enemy by applying all available digital and other platforms including FM radio. The Leader of Opposition in Parliament said that the Indian government should take a serious note and counter it an effective manner.  

This comes even as Nepal’s FM radio channels close to the border with India are broadcasting propaganda to back Kathmandu’s claim on Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, residents in India’s border villages said.

"Some Nepalese FM channels have of late started playing anti-India speeches in between Nepali songs,” said Shalu Datal, a resident of Dantu village in Pithoragarh’s Dharchula sub-division.

“As people on both sides of the border listen to Nepali songs, they also hear the anti-India speeches delivered by Nepalese leaders in between them,” she said.

The main FM stations playing anti-India content between songs are Naya Nepal and Kalapani Radio, Datal said, as per PTI.

'Nepal is our friend for ages together'

Taking to Twitter, Adhir Ranjan called Nepal "our neighbour, our family, our friend for ages together." He claimed that China wants to make Nepal subservient to serve the interest and design of China.

Nepal incorporates three Indian areas into its new map

India's relations with Nepal have been tense after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. Nepal protested the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through its territory. Days later, Nepal came out with the new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories.

Nepal’s National Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed the Constitution Amendment Bill to update the country's political and administrative map incorporating three Indian territories. India has termed as untenable the "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims by Nepal after its lower house of parliament on Saturday unanimously approved the new political map of the country featuring areas which India maintains belong to it.

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The National Assembly, or the upper house of the Nepalese parliament, unanimously passed the constitution amendment bill providing for inclusion of the country's new political map in its national emblem. The bill was passed with all the 57 members present voting in its favour.

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Adhir Ranjan wants to know 'real situation'

On Friday, Chowdhury asked the NDA government at the Centre that people are entitled to know of what actually transpired at Galwan valley adding "we do not need any consolation, but the real situation."

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'We have a democratic right to know'

The Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha told the government "not to play hide and seek with us" and said that the county should be prepared to accept the stark reality "whatever maybe" In another tweet, the Parliamentarian said, "But people of India, should not be taken for granted, my question is, whether our army-men have been captured? After negotiation, they have been released?"

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(With PTI inputs)