Peoples Movement Support Group

BJP on Monday indicated that Maoists gaining power in Nepal was fraught with dangerous consequences for India and also dubbed as a "negative" step the turning of the Hindu country into a secular republic. "The coming to power of Communists in Nepal was in no way a good sign for India and this should be accepted," senior leader Jaswant Singh said while briefing reporters on the foreign policy resolution adopted at its national executive. The party insisted that Maoists had only got about a third of the popular vote and that too through "intimidation". Noting that the Maoists in Nepal have ties with Naxalites in India, he alleged this was a danger signal to the country, where vast stretches from North to the South are known as the Red corridor. To a question about declaration of Nepal as a secular republic, he said the development was "very negative". The question is not about ideology but about the 'Sanatan Dharma' as the journey of 'Chardhams' is not complete without a trip to Pashupatinath in Nepal, he added. Singh alleged that the UPA government's Nepal policy has reached a "dead end" and said it acted in haste while praising the election results. The resolution asked the government to immediately clarify where it stands on the many questions that Nepal is now confronted with and took a dig at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wondering whether he is not a "free agent" in this context as well.