echoed foreign policy experts concerns that India's tough position has moved Nepal closer to China.

New Delhi:  Launching a scathing attack on the government's handling of the situation with Nepal, the Communist Party of India-Marxist accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of adopting a "confrontationist attitude to bully" Nepal.An editorial of the party's weekly journal 'People's Democracy' said that the party supported the Madhesis with an eye on Bihar polls."Narendra Modi and the BJP were also willing to harm relations with Nepal for the sake of winning support of the Madhesis who have a substantial trans-border presence in the neighbouring areas of Bihar, keeping in mind the assembly elections there," the editorial read.
CPI-M chief and editor of the People's Democracy, Sitaram Yechury, is a popular figure among Nepali politicians and played a key role in bringing the Nepal's Maoists and its chief Prachanda to mainstream politics.  The CPI-M weekly echoed foreign policy experts who have expressed concerns that India's tough



position has moved Nepal closer to China."Nepal was compelled to approach China and an agreement was arrived at whereby 1,000 metric tonnes of petrol are being supplied by China through the land route from Tibet. The foreign minister of Nepal has gone to the United Nations to complain about the Indian-inspired blockade. Most of the SAARC countries have expressed concern about the blockade faced by the Nepali people," said the CPI-M editorial.Several key border crossing points between India and Nepal have been choked for the past weeks by people from the Madhesi community who have been protesting the country's new constitution.While Nepal has blamed India for supporting the protesters, India has strongly denied involvement in any economic blockade against Nepal.At a regular press briefing, spokesperson of India's foreign ministry said, "We want to make it clear that Nepal is facing a political problem and it needs to be addressed through a political solution."