Hindi-movie ban: Nepal assures India of strong action

Amid reports of a ban in Nepal on vehicles with Indian registration number and screening of Hindi movies, the Nepalese government has assured India that it will not support any such activity and strict action will be taken to ensure the ban is not implemented.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna raised the issue of CPN-Maoist announcing a ban on screening of Hindi films and operation of vehicles bearing Indian numbers in 10 Nepalese districts with Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha during a bilateral meeting here yesterday.

Krishna said there is a time-bound understanding between Nepal and India that territories of either side would not be used against the other for propaganda, official sources told PTI after the meeting.

Shrestha said he had seen reports of the CPN-Maoist calling for the ban after reaching New York for the UN General Assembly session and had contacted Nepalese Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, besides discussing the matter with Physical planning and transportation minister Hridayesh Tripathi.

Shrestha reassured Krishna that such activities are not permissible in Nepal and they were the work of "fringe elements."

He said the government does not support such bans and has given instructions to take strict action against those who resort to such measures, the sources said.

In the meeting between Shrestha and Krishna, that took place on the sidelines of the UNGA session, the Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister also briefed Krishna about the current situation in Nepal and where the political process is headed.

Krishna said India has consistently stated that issues relating to Nepal's internal matter were the country's sovereign decisions and that New Delhi would support the decisions that Kathmandu makes regarding its democratic process.

This was the third meeting between Krishna and Shrestha, who had previously met in New Delhi and Male.

The two discussed other bilateral issues and the possible areas of future cooperation.

Krishna also informed Shrestha that India was temporarily helping Nepal meet some of its electricity demand, following a discussion between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bhattarai in Rio over the possibility of India providing electricity to Nepal for the short term to help it tide over its current power shortages.