Friday, April 21 2006 18:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The main Opposition BJP today (Apr 21, 2006) asserted that both Constitutional monarchy and functional democracy were important for Nepal and said any Indian military intervention there would be 'foolish'.

Senior party leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh told reporters here that his proposed three-day visit to Nepal from April 24 was aimed at contributing to the restoration of peace and bringing about mutual confidence among political parties as also between the King and the political leadership.

Singh, who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier in the day and discussed the situation in Nepal and the steps taken by the Indian Government, said that the BJP considered constitutional monarchy and an effective, functional and elected democracy as two pillars of equal importance" in the Himalayan Kingdom.

The former External Affairs Minister said he did not get the impression of a shift in India's position vis-a-vis the King in his talks with the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran who briefed him on the developments there.

To a question on Indian military intervention as an answer to the problems in Nepal, he categorically asserted that any strategic initiative by India would be foolish.