What Nepal should be has to be decided by Nepali citizens: BJP leader Jolly

KATHMANDU, February 19: Senior leader of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vijay Jolly has said India does not remain mute spectator to increasing religious conversion in Nepal.

Speaking at the special interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal, on Thursday,  leader Jolly said religious conversion in Nepal poses a security threat to India. Jolly revealed that he has asked Nepali leaders including Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to work toward stopping the conversion trend. He is hopeful that the Nepalese leader and its government may settle down these issues properly.

“Poor people of Nepal have been forced to converse their religion with false assurance,” he said, “and this can increase security challenges to India, Jolly speaking the program presided by the Club’s President Rishi Dhamala.  The leader, however, maintained that everyone is free to choose whatever path they wish and he was only protesting the forced conversion.

Responding to a journalist’s query, Jolly tactfully stayed away from the issue of secularism in Nepal. “What Nepal should be has to be decided by Nepali citizens,” Jolly answered the question if BJP wants Nepal to become a Hindu state again, “India respects Nepali people’s decision.” He said,” We respect Nepali Peoples and equally love to them.”

Jolly also added that the constitution must address people’s concern over religion. Likewise, he avoided airing views on appropriateness of ethnicity-based federal structure in Nepal. Earlier on Tuesday, BJP Vice-President Renu Devi had warned that Nepal would disintegrate if its federal states were divided on the basis of ethnicity, at the same program of Club.

Meanwhile, the BJP leader asked Nepali leaders to promulgate a constitution on the basis of consensus. “I have asked every leader I met here to issue the constitution on the basis of consensus notwithstanding the number,” he said.

Leader Jolly praised to the Club and its president for playing the remarkable role to build the consensus among the political parties and establishing the peace, prosperous and unity.

During his visit to Nepal, Mr Jolly informed that he had had meeting with President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aca Prachanda, Nepali Congress’s Senior Leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, UML Senior Leader Jhal Nath Khanal, Madhesh based party leaders Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar, Upendra Yadav and Rajendra Mahato .