Nepal President's advisor resigns after criticising inclusion of Indian territories on currency note
Kathmandu (PTI): The economic advisor to Nepal's President Ram Chandra Paudel has resigned after his controversial remarks on the government’s decision to issue new hundred-rupee notes with a map that includes three Indian territories, a move already rejected by India.
The President approved Chiranjivi Nepal's resignation on Sunday, according to the press release issued by the Office of the President.
Ex-governor of the country's central bank, Chiranjivi Nepal had reportedly termed the government’s decision to print the new map on the notes as ‘an inappropriate move’.
A Cabinet meeting last week decided to replace the old map with the new one while printing new notes of Rs 100.
The new map includes territories such as Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura.
India maintains Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura belong to it.
CPN-UML chairman and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had publicly criticised Chiranjivi Nepal for his remarks.
"I have raised this serious issue to draw the public attention as it might cause practical problems to the people," Chiranjivi Nepal mentioned in his resignation letter, an aide to the president told PTI on condition of anonymity.
“I have tendered my resignation from the post to maintain the dignity of the honourable President, as attempts were made to unnecessarily drag the president into controversy citing my statement,” Chiranjivi Nepal pointed out.
Earlier, a group of civil society leaders had demanded the removal of Chiranjivi Nepal over his remarks against the government's decision to print new hundred-rupee notes with the map of Nepal as per the amended Constitution.
They argued that he had gone against national interest and breached decorum while speaking to the national and international media on the matter.
Nepal's government unveiled its new political map with the inclusion of Lipulek, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas within its territory in May 2020 during the government led by Oli. It was later endorsed by the Parliament unanimously. After that, the government has replaced the old map used in all the official documents with the new map despite India’s objection.
“This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues," India's External Affairs Ministry said at that time.
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jayashankar last week expressed discontent over the Nepal government's decision to issue the new notes.
Jaishankar said that it is not going to change the situation on the ground.
Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
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'Last rites' of INDIA bloc: BJP on Cong-DMK fallout in Tamil Nadu
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Wednesday took a swipe at the Congress for extending support to Vijay's TVK in forming the government in Tamil Nadu and breaking away from its long term ally DMK, saying the party has a history of "betraying" its allies.
The saffron party also attacked the opposition INDIA bloc, claiming the alliance is "falling apart like a pack of cards" and lacks any common ideology or vision.
The Tamil Nadu Congress has decided to support TVK leader Vijay in forming a secular government in the state, sources said.
The decision to support the TVK was taken at an urgent meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of Tamil Nadu Congress late on Tuesday night.
Reacting to the development, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed the INDIA alliance had effectively come to an end after the declaration of assembly election results on May 4.
"There is nobody whom the Congress has not deceived. Imagine what they will do to the Samajwadi Party if they have done this to the DMK," he wrote in a post on X.
Calling it the "last rites" of the INDIA bloc, Poonawalla, in a video post, said, "It has become a Bharat free of the DMK, TMC and the Left, and now Congress has dumped the DMK for the TVK."
The BJP spokesperson alleged that the opposition bloc was formed solely out of political compulsions and personal ambitions.
"The INDI alliance never had any mission or vision. It was only about ambition for position, corruption, commission and obsession against Modi ji that they came together. But now it is all falling apart like a pack of cards," he said.
Questioning the unity of the opposition parties, Poonawalla said the alliance was absent in several states during the election.
"Where was the INDI alliance in Bengal, in Kerala, in Gujarat, in Punjab, in Delhi, in Haryana, in Karnataka? There is no INDI alliance," he said.
The DMK on Wednesday described the Congress move to extend support to TVK as a "backstab" by its long-time national ally.
Speaking to PTI videos, DMK spokesperson Saravanan Anadurai said, "The Congress party has decided to ally with the TVK, pledging their support to the party. I think they have backstabbed... They have backstabbed the people of Tamil Nadu. They've backstabbed the mandate given by the people of Tamil Nadu."
He said that the decision came even before the electoral process had fully concluded.
"Even before the ink on the returning officer's signature on the victory certificate dried up, they've chosen to go ahead with an alliance," he said.
Vijay's TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, falling short of the halfway mark. He needs the support of 10 MLAs to form a government with a simple majority. The results were declared only on Monday.
The Congress has won five seats, while the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has bagged four seats. The CPI and CPI-M have two seats each. The outgoing ruling party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has won 59 seats while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has won 47 seats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won only one seat, and so have the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and the Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam (AMMK), while the VCK has won two seats.
The Congress had fought the assembly polls in a pre-poll alliance with the DMK, while the BJP had a tie-up with the AIADMK.
