Indian leaders hold meetings with Thapa

NEW DELHI, March 8: Senior Indian leaders and bureaucrats have held close-door meetings with Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa, who arrived in India on a five-day visit on Monday.



Sources close to Thapa informed Republica that the Indian leaders have expressed “deep concern” about the delay in concluding the peace process and constitution writing process.[break]



During Thapa´s meeting with Congress-I President Sonia Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani, and Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishna on Monday, the leaders stressed the “need for all the stakeholders in Nepal to conclude the democratic process on time.”



Thapa also convened a meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao earlier. On the occasion, Rao stressed the need for a democratic constitution in Nepal and opined that the issues regarding the peace and the statute drafting process must be resolved at the earliest.



“Rao stressed that the process of PLA integration too must be concluded at the earliest,” sources informed.



The leaders told Thapa that India is willing to support Nepal in whatever way necessary to complete the peace process.



“He (Thapa) stressed the need for the three major parties in Nepal to move ahead with cooperation among each other and conclude the peace process which is stalled at present,” a source said.



Thapa, who is on a medical visit, is also scheduled to hold discussions with Sushma Swaraj, the leader of the Indian opposition party, and Congress-I foreign department chief Karan Singh Tuesday.

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