Just ahead of his India visit, Nepal’s Maoist chief Prachanda has hinted at playing hardball, saying that Delhi’s security concerns would not be addressed if it does not provide economic assistance to his country.
59-year-old Prachanda is embarking on a four-day visit to India this evening, along with a four-member delegation. He will call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and senior leaders of the Opposition parties during the visit.
“I will raise the issue of Nepal’s economic development during my India visit. If India doesn’t cooperate, we too won’t help address their security concerns,” the Unified Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist(UCPN-M) chairman was quoted as saying by a national daily here.
India’s 1,800 km-long open border with Nepal poses serious security fears due to influx of illegal arms, drugs, terrorists and fake Indian currency notes traced to Pakistan.