According to former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special envoy S Jaishankar pressured the Nepali political leadership not to promulgate the Constitution, warning that it would not be accepted if done against India’s wishes.
Oli stated this in a set of “political documents” handed to the Communist Party of Nepal-standing UML’s committee on September 19, which marked the country’s seventh Constitution Day.
On September 19, Nepal commemorates the promulgation of its Constitution.
“The Indian diplomat who arrived as a special emissary of the Prime Minister of India threatened the leaders of the political parties not to promulgate the Constitution and that it would not be accepted if it was done against India’s suggestions,” stated the document from Oli’s collection.
The papers also mentioned that Jaishankar said “the consequences would be negative,” as per the report.
Despite demonstrations in the southern Nepal areas bordering India, Nepal’s Constituent Assembly issued its new Constitution, which was framed by the elected representative assembly for the first time in September 2015.
According to the report, the Constitution was adopted shortly after Jaishankar, the then Foreign Secretary, visited Kathmandu and spoke with leaders of several political parties, including Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda.’
The document further stated that “the Indian government, which has been expressing dissatisfaction that its concerns have not been addressed since the drafting of the Constitution, had put pressure on the government not to adopt it.”
In the past, Nepal’s Madhes-based parties, claiming to represent the interests of residents of the southern Terai area, who are primarily of Indian ancestry, staged a six-month-long demonstration to lobby for a constitutional amendment to address their demands, during which over 60 people were killed.
Redrawing provincial boundaries, acknowledgment of regional languages, and resolving questions of citizenship and representation in the National Assembly were among their demands.
Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba spoke on the occasion, emphasising the importance of safeguarding and enforcing the country’s Constitution.
Deuba expressed delight in the Constitution’s promulgation six years ago by representatives elected by the people in his address to the nation. He sent his profound condolences to the martyrs of the country and remembered them for their supreme sacrifices.
In his remarks, the Prime Minister emphasised the importance of safeguarding and enforcing the Constitution.
