New Delhi: The BJP on Sunday voiced concern over the "constitutional crisis" in Nepal and its ramification on India, while appealing to citizens there not to divide the country on caste and ethnic lines.
Noting that the term of the Nepal's Constituent Assembly was ending shortly and political parties had failed to evolve a consensus on a democratic Constitution, BJP leader Rajnath Singh felt this "would be a serious setback to Nepal?s quest for peace, democracy, political stability and economic prosperity."
"We in the BJP are more concerned today because India is not only a neighbouring country to Nepal but also shares a deep cultural affinity with it. A stable Nepal will ensure a peaceful co-existence of both the countries," he said.
Singh also said certain external forces with vested interests are active in the region to destabilise any peaceful political process in Nepal.
"The BJP appeals to the Nepalese people not to let their society and the country be divided on caste and ethnic lines as it has all along had a glorious past that practised cultural, religious and ethnic harmony," he said in a statement.
Singh also flagged his apprehensions over the ruling coalition government's warning that it would launch a movement to protest the recent Supreme Court order against the government decision to extend the tenure of the Constituent Assembly beyond May 28 by three months.
"While the BJP has no intention to interfere in Nepal's internal politics but we want to share our concerns which arise out of Nepal's current constitutional crisis," he said.
There appears to be polarisation among political parties in Nepal regarding the model of state restructuring with Maoist-Madhesi Front sticking to the idea of federating the states on singular ethnicity while the Nepali Congress- CPN(UML) alliance favouring the idea of federating the states on the basis of multi-ethnicity and economic viability.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, May 27, 2012, 20:48