Centre blocks Nitishs Nepal trip

The Centre has not allowed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to visit Kathmandu to attend the shraadh rites of Nepals former premier Girija Prasad Koirala....

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The Centre has not allowed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to visit Kathmandu to attend the shraadh rites of Nepals former premier Girija Prasad Koirala.

Nitish was supposed to visit Kathmandu on Thursday.

This is the second time since the Kosi breach at Kushaha that the Bihar CM has been denied permission from the Centre to visit Nepal.

Sources in the Chief Ministers Office said Nitish was upset over the development,more so because he had got a personal invitation from Sujata Koirala,daughter of the deceased former PM,who is also the countrys deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

I was scheduled to leave for Nepal on Thursday. But no intimation regarding permission reached my office till Wednesday, said the CM.

Nitish said India and Nepal shared an emotional bond and his visit would have only cemented it.

Following the invitation from Sujata Koirala on March 25,the Bihar government had written to the Centre seeking a clearance for the visit.

Meanwhile,MEA spokesperson parried the query on Nitishs proposed visit to Nepal. The Indian dignitaries,including External Affairs Minister S M Krishna,Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar,represented the Indian government at the former Nepal PMs funeral,the spokesperson said.