RSP President Rabi Lamichhane to visit India in early June

Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s visit to India remains uncertain, but Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane is set to visit India in the third week of Jestha. According to RSP sources, he will visit India from June 1 to 2 at the formal invitation of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

During his visit, President Lamichhane is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, although no official announcement has been made regarding this meeting. RSP sources also indicate that Lamichhane will meet with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and other officials.

Lamichhane is also scheduled to meet BJP President Nitin Navin, and preparations are underway to welcome him at the Bharatiya Janata Party office.

The visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Nepal was postponed after Prime Minister Balendra Shah declined to meet him. Misri was supposed to come to Nepal to extend a formal invitation to Shah for a visit to India.

Shortly after Misri’s visit was postponed, Nepal sent a diplomatic note of protest following an agreement between India and China to open the Kailash pilgrimage route via Lipulekh. The Nepalese government expressed objections to both India and China for not consulting Nepal on opening the route through its territory.

Although Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal was also expected to visit India, his trip was canceled at the last moment.

After the Rastriya Swatantra Party secured nearly a two-thirds majority in Nepal, Indian Prime Minister Modi had congratulated RSP President Rabi Lamichhane and proposed Prime Minister Balendra Shah over the phone. However, after becoming Prime Minister, Shah maintained diplomatic distance with India, similar to other countries.

Since India could not extend an invitation to Prime Minister Shah for a visit, it has invited RSP President Lamichhane to visit India.