Prime Minister Oli: Nepal under Indian blockade; no it isn’t, says deputy Kamal Thapa

Online Khabar

Kathmandu, October 15. The word ‘blockade’ does not mean the same thing for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa, it appears.

On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thapa stopped short of acknowledging that India has imposed a ‘covert blockade’ against Nepal. He said India should get the benefit of the doubt as the situation in customs points save Raxaul is normal.

Thapa was speaking at a press conference ahead of his visit to India on Saturday. He said complexities in the transport and transit sector and Madhesh-centric parties’ movement were to blame for the fuel crisis.

The Sushil Koirala government had also stopped short of saying that India had imposed a blockade against Nepal. Then government had come under widespread criticism for internationalising the ‘blockade’.

At the press meet, some journalists asked Thapa whether the government plans to internationalise the ‘embargo’. Thapa did not offer a clear answer.

Though the situation in other trade points with India has eased, import of goods is not that smooth, Thapa conceded. The situation has eased in other customs (save Raxaul), but there are not enough gas bullets and tankers, he said. Thapa said there are problems related to loading and unloading. Taking these factors into account, let’s give India the benefit of the doubt, he argued.

Thapa’s version aside, Prime Minister Oli said on Thursday that the government has taken the ‘covert blockade’ seriously. He said this while addressing the Parliament. Oli stressed the need to protect landlocked countries’ rights.

India insists there is no blockade

Meanwhile, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has responded to Prime Minister KP Oli’s statement that India was imposing an unofficial blockade in Nepal. The ministry’s spokesperson said at a regular press meet that India has not imposed any blockade, and more than 730 trucks have entered Nepal from India in the last 24 hours.