NEW DELHI, 2 February 2005 — After King Gyanendra sacked the government and declared a state of emergency in neighboring Nepal, the government of India voiced its very deep concern yesterday.
“These developments constitute a serious setback to the cause of democracy in Nepal and cannot but be a cause of grave concern to India,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“The safety and welfare of the political leaders must be ensured and political parties must be allowed to exercise all the rights enjoyed by them under the Constitution,” the ministry said after reports of senior politicians being put under house arrest.
“India has consistently supported multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy enshrined in Nepal’s Constitution as the two pillars of political stability in Nepal. This principle has now been violated with the king forming a government under his chairmanship,” it said.
“The latest developments in Nepal bring the monarchy and the mainstream political parties in direct confrontation with each other.
“This can only benefit the forces that not only wish to undermine democracy but the institution of monarchy as well.”
The Indian statement said: “We will continue to support the restoration of political stability and economic prosperity in Nepal, a process which requires reliance on the forces of democracy and the support of the people of Nepal.”
Indian Airlines Suspend Flights
to Nepal After King Sacks Govt
All of India’s airlines suspended flights to Nepal yesterday after King Gyanendra sacked his government, and security was stepped up at border crossings into the troubled Himalayan kingdom.
One flight of Air Sahara was not allowed to land in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu and had to turn back in the morning.
“It had to turn back because of the situation in Nepal,” the airline’s spokeswoman Neeta Raina told AFP. State-run Indian Airlines canceled two flights to Nepal while private carrier Jet Airways also scrapped a flight.
“Our official in Nepal had advised us not to operate the flight as it would have got stuck,” said an Indian Airlines spokesman.
