Mahara warns PM ahead of India visit
Mahara warns PM ahead of India visit
Published: 05:25 am Aug 18, 2009
KATHMANDU: Standing committee member and chief of foreign department of Unified CPN-Maoist Krishna Bahadur Mahara today warned the government not to sign any agreement without national consensus during the Prime Minister’s India visit. Speaking at a face-to-face programme organised by Jana Sanchar Abhiyan here, Mahara said PM Madhav Kumar Nepal had not made the agenda of the visit public. “PM briefed 25 parties about his visit yesterday but did not divulge the agenda of his negotiation with India,” he said. According to Mahara, the PM said the visit will be solely a goodwill call to strengthen the ties between the two countries. “We will protest if he signs any controversial agreement or treaty,” he told mediapersons. Mahara said the PM had not raised the issue of extradition treaty, which India wanted signed long ago. “Nepal should deal with the Pancheshwor project in package, not as individual entities,” he commented, adding that the nation should first the royalty and compensation of the water through national consensus. He further said the government should not let the Nepali soil be used for anti-Indian activities and vice-versa. “We are against Clauses 4 and 5 of Nepal-India Trade Treaty, which prevent Nepal from doing business independently,” Mahara said. The PM should not sign the treaty and agree on double taxation. “This ‘puppet’ government could sign the agreements in order to elongate its life,” he said. “Nepali people will never spare any leader acting against the nation.”