Saran clarifies on stand on Nepal

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, May 6: India tried to wriggle out of its earlier held position on the outcome of the elections in Nepal by saying that it was more interested in the process of transformation than in the product which hit them in their face.

The Prime Minister’s special envoy on the nuclear deal and former ambassador to Nepal Shyam Saran said, "It is not India’s place to play favourites. We were interested in the process of transformation in Nepal from a monarchy to a democracy. We will deal with who ever forms the government there."

Speaking at the Indian Women’s Press Corps during an interaction with journalists, Mr Saran reiterated that there was no intelligence failure in predicting the outcome of the Nepal elections. He said when the media failed often in predicting the results in their own country, how can the results of a foreign nation be considered an intelligence failure. Mr Saran said that the Maoists did not have a majority in the Nepal elections and they have to still form a united government.

All the political parties are scheduled to meet in Nepal on Friday to decide about the formation of the government. Mr Saran disagreed that the Maoists were not friendly with India. He said the question of the Maoists being closer to China is just a reality since the only thing common between the two parties was the word "Maoist".

About the abrogation of the Indo-Nepal treaty of 1950, Mr Saran said the government has said that they have no issue at all in the matter. They are ready to go into for renegotiation of the pact as was agreed upon with the Nepalese government in 2001. He said, "We have no reservations if this item is put back on the bilateral agenda".

Mr Saran said that the two countries have already had one round of talks between foreign secretaries of the two countries had been held after the 2001 proposal.

When asked whether the King of Nepal had sought to live in India, Mr Saran said no such request was received by India, as far as he knew.