Thursday, April 28 2005 19:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: India today (Apr 28, 2005) indicated it was in no hurry to resume military aid to Nepal, regretting that King Gyanendra has gone back on his assurances to Indian leadership on steps to unwind emergency measures and release political leaders.

"So far as the military aid is concerned, it is constantly under review and will remain under review in view of what has happened," External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh told Rajya Sabha.

Deploring the arrest of former Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, he said "it is a matter of very deep regret that when His Majesty, the King, goes back after his talks with the Prime Minister of India, an announcement is made that a person no less than a previous Prime Minister of Nepal is arrested on charges which are yet to be proved".

Singh was responding to CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) member Nilotpal Basu who had raised the issue saying while continued engagement with Nepal was all right, it should not reflect on actions in the kingdom against democratic forces.

Asserting that India had all the leverages with Nepal but had not used any of them, the Minister said New Delhi wanted to resolve the situation in the kingdom in an amicable and friendly manner.

"We want to see that democracy is restored, Maoists are contained, political process starts and the people of Nepal do not suffer in any way. That is our policy," he said.

"The fact of the matter is that for the last three months the situation in Nepal deteriorated rapidly," Singh said.