Prachanda said that he and PM Modi discussed several options to resolve border disputes, including a swap of land as India and Bangladesh did in 2015, the Kathmandu Post reported. But Nepal’s main opposition party CPN-UML has strongly opposed Prachanda’s statement regarding the exchange of land. A parliamentary party meeting of the UML concluded that Prachanda’s statement on land swap was “against the national interest”.
Opposition said – we will demand answers!
UML chief whip Padam Giri said, “We will seek an answer to his statement on land exchange.” He said that the Prime Minister could not raise any issue in the national interest of Nepal during his visit to India. He also failed to raise the issues he had announced earlier in Parliament. Although Prachanda has described this deal as just an ‘option’ for the time being. The issue of exchange of land has been raised many times in the past by some Nepali leaders and experts, but this is the first time that a Nepali PM has publicly put forth this option.
What does Prachanda want from India?
Now let us know how Nepal wants to end the Kalapani border dispute and what is this ‘Land Swap Deal’. In fact, Prachanda wants India to give way to Bangladesh in exchange for the land of Kalapani. This route passes through India’s ‘Chicken Neck’ i.e. strategically important Siliguri Corridor on which China is eyeing. That is why India is in a state of confusion regarding this demand of Nepal. Prachanda, who was on a tour of India, held talks with PM Modi on the issue of border dispute.