The attention of the Embassy of India has been drawn to media reports about vehicles coming into Nepal from India allegedly with arms. The Embassy has also received reports that because of these allegations, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) have blocked sections of highways in some areas.
These allegations are completely baseless and untrue. This has also been corroborated by the delegation of the Ceasefire Code of Conduct Monitoring Committee (CCCMC) visiting Dhading to inspect the vehicles. They have said that there is nothing in the vehicles that have come from India. The Coordinator of the Committee Dr. BP Mishra has said, “The vehicles are empty”.
The facts confirmed by the Embassy’s own investigations are as follows. Eight ‘Comet’ trucks of Ashoka Leyland were cleared from the Land Customs Station, Raxaul on 5 September 2006. It has also been confirmed that these are open trucks with no cargo of any kind, and certainly no arms. They are also not mine-protected or armoured trucks or vehicles, as has been alleged by some. The consignee of these trucks is stated to be Nepal Army, Kathmandu, Government of Nepal.
Indeed, no arms whatsoever have been supplied by the Government of India to Nepal since such supplies were put under constant review on 1 February 2005.
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