Nepal PM Oli dissolved Parliament on India's orders, met R&AW chief: Prachanda's new twist

Ahead of the Nepal Foreign Minister's visit to India, Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', the Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party's splinter faction, on Wednesday accused PM KP Sharma Oli of splitting the ruling party and dissolving Parliament at New Delhi's direction.

Addressing leaders and cadres of his faction at the Nepal Academy Hall in Kathmandu, Prachanda, the former PM, said that Oli had in the recent past accused that "some leaders of NCP were hatching a conspiracy to topple his government at the behest of India." The claim comes as a surprise given that Oli has been making anti-India moves and statements in recent months.

'Oli met the chief of R&AW'

Prachanda said his faction did not force Oli to resign simply because it would have given a message that Oli's statement was true. "Now did Oli split the party and dissolve the House of Representatives at the direction of India? the former PM asked.

He said the truth has already been revealed to the Nepalese people. "Oli met Samanta Goel, the chief of R&AW, the intelligence wing of India, for three hours at his official residence at Baluwatar, without the presence of any second person, which clearly shows Oli's motive," Prachanda alleged. He accused Prime Minister Oli of taking wrong advice from external forces.

"By dissolving the House, Oli has given a blow to the Constitution as well as the democratic republic system which has been established in the country through seven decades of struggle by the people," Prachanda said according to a PTI report. 

Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after Oli, known for his pro-Beijing leanings, in a surprise move, recommended dissolving the 275-member House, amidst a tussle for power with Prachanda. Acting on the Prime Minister's recommendation, President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House the same day and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10, sparking protests from a large section of the NCP led by Prachanda, also a co-chair of the ruling party.

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Nepal's Foreign Minister to visit India

India has described Oli's sudden decision to dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections as an "internal matter" that is for the country to decide as per its democratic processes. Meanwhile, Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali will travel to India on Thursday on a three-day visit during which he will attend the Sixth Meeting of Nepal-India Joint Commission and discuss the entire gamut of relations, including Covid-19 cooperation and boundary, with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar.

Gyawali is the senior-most political leader from Nepal to visit India after Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli triggered a border row last year by publishing a new political map that showed the three Indian territories - Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh - as part of Nepal.

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