Nepal leadership should have taken steps to defuse tension: MEA

Expressing concern over incidents of violence in regions of Nepal bordering India following the promulgation of new Constitution yesterday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday said these could have been avoided had the political leadership in that nation taken steps to defuse the tension.

"We are deeply concerned over the incidents of violence resulting in death and injury in regions of Nepal bordering India following the promulgation of Constitution yesterday. Our freight companies and transporters have also voiced complaints about the difficulties they are facing in movement within Nepal and their security concerns, due to the prevailing unrest," MEA said in a statement.

"We had repeatedly cautioned the political leadership of Nepal to take urgent steps to defuse the tension in these regions. This, if done in a timely manner, could have avoided these serious developments," it added.

The MEA statement further said that issues in Nepal are political in nature which cannot be solved by force alone.

"We have consistently argued that all sections of Nepal must reach a consensus on the political challenges confronting them. The issues facing Nepal are political in nature and cannot be resolved through force. We still hope that initiatives will be taken by Nepal's leadership to effectively and credibly address the causes underlying the present state of confrontation," the statement said.

Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav, on Sunday, announced the adoption of a new 'secular and democratic' Constitution amid protests by various sections of society.

The protests, which have been going on for weeks in the country against the adoption of the new constitution, are particularly severe in south where certain ethnic minorities are opposing the proposed boundaries of the new provinces.