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More Madhesi leaders to visit Delhi

KATHMANDU, JAN 22 -
Madhesi leaders are visiting New Delhi one after another more as political logjam continues to shoot up.

Soon after Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar and Industry Minister Anil Jha completed their New Delhi sojourn last week, some other leaders are following the suit saying that they are going to New Delhi on a “medical and pilgrimage tour”.  

Sources told the Post that Chairman of Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) Mahantha Takhur, Health Minister Rajendra Mahato and Minister for Irrigation Mahendra Yadav are visiting India this week.

Mahato is leaving for New Delhi on Monday. One of his aides claimed he is visiting Delhi for treatment and pilgrimage. He will be meeting some leaders there, sources added.

When Gachhadar was in New Delhi last week, he held talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior Cabinet ministers including Home, Defense, Finance as well as National Security Advisor and political leaders from the ruling parties and opposition parties.

None of the former DPMs and ministers like Sujata Koirala, Upendra Yadav, Bhim Rawal and Bidhya Bhandari were given such a “rousing welcome” in Delhi like that extended to Gacchadar.

“Gacchadar was treated well in Beijing when he visited China some three weeks back to lay ground for the visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. He was given rousing welcome in Beijing where he was kept in an expensive suite of a local hotel of seven star category and his Chinese counterpart had hosted a lunch at Great Hall of the People. He was also given a small guard of honour before the lunch at the same venue. But, another Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha was kept in a state guest house,” said sources privy to bilateral engagements.

Gacchadar was received royal treatment while travelling other Chinese cities too. That is why India also gave him a warm welcome and politically also he has been emerging as a point man in Tarai and Madhes, sources added.

“Our Chairman is visiting Delhi for treatment. He is going for regular health check-up as per doctors’ advise. He is suffering from cardiac related aliment and has put pacemaker to keep pain at bay,” said Minister for Physical Planning and Works Hyredesh Tripathi.

Irrigation Minister Yadav is also planning to visit Delhi during the first week of February to attend a joint ministerial level meeting of irrigation and energy, the highest level mechanism between Nepal and India to deal with the entire gamut of water resources.   

Posted on: 2012-01-23 08:22

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