Nepal’s former premier KP Oli on Friday said India should not be dragged into the controversy over Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda’s recent remarks that an Indian businessman made efforts to make him the premier.

His remarks came in response to PM Prachanda’s statement on Sardar Pritam Singh, a trucking entrepreneur in Nepal.

“He (Singh) had once made efforts to make me the prime minister,” Mr Prachanda said.

“He travelled to Delhi several times and held multiple rounds of talks with political leaders in Kathmandu to make me the prime minister,” Prachanda had said during a book launch event.

His remarks have courted controversy and drawn criticism from several quarters and have also stalled Parliament.

Responding to PM Prachanda’s remarks, Mr Oli said: “India is well aware that interfering in the government formation in Nepal would be a violation of Nepal’s sovereignty and it has not done it and will not do so.”

He also claimed that Mr Singh has rejected PM Prachanda’s statement that he travelled to New Delhi to make the CPN-UML chairperson the prime minister.

According to Mr Oli, Mr Singh has said: “I have not gone to Delhi to make Prachanda Prime Minister. I don’t know why the Prime Minister is saying this, but I never visited Delhi to make him Prime Minister.”

Mr Singh made these remarks at a press conference, Mr Oli said while addressing a programme organised by UML’s student wing in Kathmandu.

“Friendly country India has never said till now that it will facilitate government formation in Nepal. India knows very well that to say so is against Nepal’s sovereignty,” Mr Oli said.

“India never says so but our Prime Minister is saying that Nepal’s sovereignty doesn’t lie in the Nepali people or Parliament and the government is not formed by Parliament but it will be made by running to Delhi,” he said.

He said PM Prachanda’s statement was a “blow to our national sovereignty and nationalism.”

Mr Oli also said his party was willing to hold talks with the ruling parties to address the current issues in the country.

In his address to the All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) at the 10th National Gathering in Kritipur on Friday, the former prime minister said his party was ready to hold dialogues with the ruling side, centering on existing problems facing the nation.

The UML has been obstructing Parliament proceedings for the last three days over Mr Prachanda’s recent statement.

“We are open to joining the talks wherever the ruling side invites us – be it in Parliament or outside,” he said.

(SOURCE: PTI)