Nepal’s Ambassador to India, Dr. Shankar Sharma, met with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday afternoon to discuss various aspects of Nepal-India relations.
The meeting has garnered significant interest in Nepal as pro-monarchy groups have launched a fresh wave of protests demanding the reinstatement of the monarchy and the reestablishment of Nepal as a Hindu state. Chief Minister Adityanath is viewed as a vocal supporter of their cause, with pro-monarchy protesters in a recent rally in Kathmandu even seen carrying placards featuring his image.
In a post on social media platform X, Sharma wrote, “Very pleased to meet Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath, in Lucknow today. We had an extensive discussion on a wide range of issues concerning Nepal-India relations. I would especially like to thank him for initiating the awe-inspiring Gurkha Museum in Gorakhpur.”
While the Nepalese Embassy in New Delhi has not provided further details, MoFA sources indicated that the meeting also touched upon the recent violent protests by pro-monarchy groups in Nepal.
During Nepal’s Foreign Minister Arzu Rana’s recent visit to India, she also raised concerns about the royalist protests with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Jaishankar reportedly stated that India had no involvement in the matter, according to Rana’s remarks to a media outlet.
Following this, Foreign Minister Rana also held discussions with Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava. Earlier, during pro-monarchy demonstrations in Nepal, a protester was seen carrying a photo of Yogi Adityanath. Nepalese police launched an inquiry and searched for him, but reports later suggested that he had fled to India.
