Kathmandu: External Affairs Minister S M
Krishna today conveyed India`s "deep disappointment" to Maoist
leader Prachanda over his attack on the country, saying his
"baseless propaganda" vitiates the age-old and time-tested
relations between the two countries.
During a meeting with Prachanda here, Krishna asked
the Maoists to fulfil their peace process commitments and
join consensus on concluding the peace process and drafting of
the new constitution by the targeted date of May 28.
Krishna "conveyed deep disappointment at the baseless
attacks on India by the Maoist leadership which vitiates the
age-old and time-tested friendly relations between India and
Nepal and peoples of the two countries," External Affairs
Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash told reporters after the
hour-long meeting with Prachanda.
Prachanda has recently been engaged in a vicious
attack on India, accusing it of interfering in Nepal`s
internal affairs.
Krishna "emphasised that such baseless propaganda has
a negative impact on Indian public opinion," Prakash said.
During his conversation with Prachanda that covered
the political developments in Nepal, Krishna underlined the
importance of rebuilding consensus among political parties of
the country to conclude the peace process and draft the new
Constitution within the stipulated time-frame of May 28, the
MEA spokesman said.
Krishna asked Prachanda and his party to "fulfill
their peace process commitments which would enable Nepal to
complete its historic transition to a multi-party and
inclusive democracy."
Prachanda told reporters that the meeting had opened
doors for talks with India.
Pressing for revision of the "unequal" 1950 Indo-Nepal
Friendship Treaty, Prachanda said his expression of "concern"
over various issues was not to "disturb" relations with India
but he wanted a "new basis" for strengthening bilateral ties.
"We had very good interaction. We put our position in
very clear and very frank way on all problems of old Treaty
and how it is necessary to replace the old Treaty with a new
one," said the Maoist leader and former Nepal Prime Minister
who went to Krishna`s hotel to meet him.
Prachanda, who resigned as prime minister in May last
year after his move to sack the then Army Chief R Katawal was
thwarted, has been stalling the peace process and critical of
India.
"We want to develop good relations with India, not
with old basis but new basis. Without creating the new basis,
it is very difficult to strengthen relations with India,"
Prachanda told reporters.
He contended that people of Nepal want change in its
policies. "We have to develop a new foreign policy and
particularly our party wants to develop a new basis to have a
good relations with India."
Prachanda said he was raising "concerns" related to
the Friendship Treaty issue, border matters and economic
development "not to disturb the relation with India but to
create a more positive, more scientific basis for relations
with India."
PTI
