Kathmandu, August 22:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) today clarified that it has not received any official information regarding the Indian Prime Minister’s remarks relating to the Bhutanese refugee problem.

Spokesman for the MoFA Arjun Bahadur Thapa said this when asked for his comments in this connection. According to news reports, Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh, had stated that the Bhutanese refugee problem should be resolved keeping in mind the welfare of the refugees.

Singh had reportedly given this reaction in response to a letter from parliamentarian Prof Ram Gopal Yadav, who demanded that the Indian government lead tripartite initiatives for the repatriation of Bhutanese refugees to their homeland.

HNS adds: The National Front for Democracy, Bhutan (NFD-B) today welcomed India’s concerns about the Bhutanese refugees’ problem.

A statement issued by the NFD-B said the problem cannot be resolved peacefully without the involvement of India.