Nepali Congress is sharply divided on whether to condemn India’s unannounced border blockade.

Several NC leaders stressed in Wednesday’s Central Working Committee meeting that the party should strongly stand against the blockade which has triggered shortage of essentials in the country.

“NC should outright deplore this blockade imposed by India,” NC central member Gagan Thapa said at the meeting, adding that the government should take immediate steps to resume the normal trade and other activities between the two countries.

Another leader Bal Krishna Khand accused the party’s ministers of maintaining double standard.  

“As government ministers they do not have the gumption to condemn the blockade,” he claimed.

To this, NC leader and Minister for Information and Communication Minendra Rijal, who had recently remarked that India had not restricted the cross-border movement, said that his statement was, in fact, misrepresented by the media.

Dr Shekhar Koirala claimed at the meeting that the Indian establishment was not responsible for the blockade.

“Our leaders do not have the capacity to handle this situation. This is not a blockade and India has not imposed it. If political parties were to address the demands of the agitating Madhes-centric parties, this situation will end right then and there,” he exclaimed.

The NC finally decided to choose a middle path: urge Indian side to end this situation. The party issued a statement, asking India to help open the customs points to end the current standoff, keeping in the centuries old good relations.

The NC also decided to hold its 13th general convention on March 3-6 in Kathmandu and the village and municipality conventions on January 29, electoral constituency

convention on February 5 and district committee convention on February 8.