Jaswant too heads for Mission Nepal

Adding a new dimension to Indian diplomacy in Nepal, former foreign minister and leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh is leaving for Kathmandu on April 24 to hold talks with King Gyanendra.

Singh's visit comes on the heels of a visit by Karan Singh, who reached Nepal today as the prime minister's special envoy against the background of anti-monarchy protests in the Himalayan Kingdom.

Sources in the BJP said Jaswant Singh sought an audience with King Gyanendra last week. Gyanendra replied he would be treated as a state guest. After this, Jaswant informed the Prime Minister's Office about the invitation.

Soon after, fearing that the initiative might slip out of the government's hand, the prime minister spoke to some Cabinet colleagues on April 16 and announced that Karan Singh would be his envoy to Nepal.

The BJP's position on developments in Nepal is not clear but the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has come out in support of the only Hindu monarch in the world.

On April 8, even as protests were on, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad attended a World Hindu Federation meeting at Birganj, on the Indo-Nepal border.

Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran has also held talks with Nepalese Army chief Pyarjung Thapa and aide to King Gyanendra Prabhakar Shamsher Rana to urge an early end to the 14-day turmoil.

Karan Singh and Shyam Saran are likely to meet King Gyanendra on Thursday even as Nepal's seven-party alliance for democracy said it would lay siege to the Narayanhiti palace tomorrow.

Sources confirm that the Indian side may urge the king to announce a new prime minister from among the pro-democracy parties, but Shekhar Koirala of the seven-party coalition has said the alliance will accept nothing short of a constituent Assembly in the Himalayan Kingdom.