KATHMANDU: Indian Member of Parliament and senior BJP leader Dr. Nishikant Dubey has blamed the Indian National Congress Party’s “dynastic and arrogant foreign policy” for Nepal’s transition from a Hindu kingdom to a secular republic.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Dubey claimed that historical missteps by India’s Congress-led governments not only strained bilateral ties with Nepal but also played a role in dismantling Nepal’s identity as a Hindu nation.
According to Dubey, the turning point came in 1988 when then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited Nepal and expressed a desire to visit the Pashupatinath Temple. However, temple authorities denied him entry based on their policy prohibiting non-Hindus from entering the sanctum.
Following this, India reportedly imposed increased tariffs on goods bound for Nepal, effectively applying economic pressure.
Dubey alleges that this pressure prompted Nepal’s then King Birendra to seek strategic support from China, including arms and food supplies. In response, India imposed an official economic blockade on Nepal in 1989.
He further claimed that India’s external intelligence agency, RAW, then deployed operative Amar Bhushan to Nepal to orchestrate a power shift—one that aimed to remove the monarchy and promote China-leaning Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to power. “Through this strategy,” Dubey wrote, “Nepal was transformed from a Hindu nation into a secular state.”
Dubey criticized the Congress Party for disregarding the religious and cultural sensitivities of neighboring nations. “It was due to the Congress Party’s arrogant and dynastic policies that a historic Hindu nation like Nepal lost its identity,” he asserted.
His remarks have sparked heated debate on social media, particularly on X, where users from both Nepal and India are discussing the accuracy and implications of his claims.
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