India on Thursday gave a stern message to neighbouring Nepal, saying that instead of approaching other foreign countries like China to solve the fuel transport crisis, Nepal “should approach its own p
India on Thursday gave a stern message to neighbouring Nepal, saying that instead of approaching other foreign countries like China to solve the fuel transport crisis, Nepal “should approach its own people,” who have been agitating. New Delhi is peeved over repeated Nepalese accusations that India has resorted to an economic blockade of Nepal. As Nepal reels under severe shortage of medicines and other essential goods due to blockade of key trade points by Nepalese agitators, India said it was ready to facilitate rerouting of vehicles carrying drugs to the landlocked country and even airlifting medical supplies.
MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup reiterated that there has been “no blockade” by India and the problem was political in nature which has to be resolved by the Nepalese leadership through dialogue. He said India has conveyed to Nepal that it was “ready to facilitate rerouting of vehicles carrying medicines. We are also ready to facilitate airlift. Nepalese importers of medicines are also advised to use those border crossings where there is no protest and disruptions in supply”. Nepal is facing acute shortage of fuel, medicine and other essential supplies due to the blockade amid protests by Indian-origin Madhesi people who are opposed to splitting the country into seven provinces in the new Constitution.
“There has been no blockade by India, whatsoever. This question should really be put to the government of Nepal and not to the government of India. There is no blockade by India and I want to repeat it umpteen times. Issues facing Nepal are political in nature. They are internal to Nepal and Nepalese leadership has to resolve them through dialogue with the agitating parties,” he said, replying to a question on the blockade along the Terai region bordering India.
“If the political challenges facing Nepal are addressed, we can hope it would assuage the concerns of the protesters leading to peace and normalcy in the affected areas of the Terai, including the border crossings currently occupied by Nepalese protesters,” said Mr Swarup. He said the shortages in Nepal were due to the blockade of major border crossing points of Birgunj-Raxaul border.
