The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) and Janata Samajwadi Party have concluded that the KP Sharma Oli government has complicated the country's international relations.
A meeting of top leaders of the two parties held on initiation of Janata Samajwadi at the residence of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba in Budhanilkantha on Tuesday has accused the government of immaturity in diplomatic relations.
The two parties mainly focused on three issues during the meeting. "Leaders of both the parties shared displeasure over abrupt prorogation of House session," NC Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma told Setopati. Deuba read his party's central committee decision taking exception to sudden House prorogation during the meeting.
The country's diplomatic relation was the second issue with the parties agreeing that the government has showed immaturity in international relations.
Prime Minister (PM) Oli last week had dragged India in the internal dispute in ruling CPN accusing the southern neighbor of plotting to topple his government.
The two parties also slammed the government for failing to take diplomatic initiative for taking back the encroached territory of Kalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhura and removal of Indian Army post from Kalapani after passing the map including the encroached territory.
They also said they are neutral in the ongoing feud in ruling CPN and talked about Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi recently meeting senior leaders of CPN amidst escalating internal dispute in the ruling party.
The opposition parties also slammed the government's handling of COVID-19 pandemic.
NC senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel, Vice-president Bimalendra Nidhi, and former general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula accompanied Deuba from NC while Chairmen Mahantha Thakur and Upendra Yadav, and leaders Baburam Bhattarai, Rajendra Mahato and Ashok Rai represented Janata Samajwadi in the meeting.
Mahato said the meeting discussed recent political developments, House prorogation and citizenship bill among other issues. "PM does not care about people. He is not concerned about people at the time of pandemic and is giving his all to save his chair," Mahato stated. "The people are suffering. We expressed displeasure at the abrupt prorogation of House session that had provided a platform to put the people's grievances."
The two opposition parties have come close in recent times with both opposing the seven-year provision for matrimonial naturalized citizenship. They claim that the seven-year provision will create practical problems and demand that the naturalized citizenship be provided immediately as per the Citizenship Act 2006.