Former prime ministers (PM) from the ruling CPN Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal refused to meet Indian Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar at the latter's hotel citing protocol while other PMs Sher Bahadur Deuba and Baburam Bhattarai went to Dwarika's Hotel to meet the Indian minister.
Jaishankar, who arrived on a two-day visit on Wednesday, had invited Dahal at his hotel at eight Thursday morning and Nepal after that.
Dahal turned down the invitation saying chairman of the ruling party and former PM going to visit a foreign minister is against diplomatic norms. Nepal, who was expected by Jaishankar after Dahal, also did not accept the invitation due to the same reason, according to a party leader.
President of the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) and former PM Deuba, however, went to the hotel at noon to meet the Indian minister. Deuba had also invited criticism earlier by sending congratulatory message to Jaishankar when he was appointed as the external affairs minister by Indian PM Narendra Modi in May end.
Former PM and Chairman of Socialist Party Nepal Bhattarai visited the Indian minister at one in the afternoon. Bhattarai had also taken fellow party chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Upendra Yadav to meet Jaishankar.
Jaishankar arrived on the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali to take part in the fifth meeting of Nepal-India Joint Commission. He had started political meetings by meeting PM KP Sharma Oli at the latter's residence in Baluwatar Wednesday itself.
This is the first Nepal visit as minister for Jaishankar who was foreign secretary at the time of Indian blockade on Nepal.
The then foreign secretary Jaishankar had visited Nepal days before promulgation of the Constitution in September 2015 to persuade Nepali leaders to postpone promulgation to include the demands of agitating Madhes-based parties.
He was apparently miffed at the reluctance of Nepali leaders to heed his advice and was believed to be the key man to convince Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to impose blockade on Nepal immediately after promulgation of the Constitution.
