KATHMANDU: Madhesh Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh has traveled to India without obtaining the required approval from the federal government.
According to the Directive on Foreign and Diplomatic Affairs for Provincial and Local Governments, 2018, province government officials must obtain consent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OMPCM). However, Chief Minister Singh departed to India without this authorization.
Singh is part of a delegation that left for Ayodhya, India, on Sunday with 251 gifts. The delegation left for Ayodhya to extend invitations for the Ram-Janaki Wedding Festival to be held in Janakpurdham in December 6.
Madhesh Province Government sources say Chief Minister Singh joined the delegation on his own initiative. Officials from the Ayodhya-based Ram Temple had not formally invited him. Although Singh had tried to solicit an invitation from the Uttar Pradesh Government of India, sources say India’s provincial government did not show any interest.
The delegation is led by Santosh Sah, the chairperson of the Dhansuha chapter of the World Hindu Council.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Sewa Lamsal said she was unaware of any approval granted for Chief Minister Singh’s Ayodhya visit.
An official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said while there were discussions about Chief Minister Sing’s Ayodhya trip, no formal consent was given. “He may have informed the Prime Minister verbally before departing,” the official said.
The directive requires provincial chief ministers to obtain cabinet approval before seeking the federal foreign ministry’s consent through the OMPCM. While the Madhesh Province Cabinet reportedly approved Singh’s visit a few days ago, neither the Office of the Province Chief nor the federal cabinet was formally notified of his travel.
Before departing for India, Singh appointed Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Development, Saroj Kumar Yadav, as acting chief minister, stating that he would be “outside the province for special work”.
Sharad Singh Yadav, the central spokesperson for the Janmat Party, said he was aware of Chief Minister Singh’s Ayodhya trip. “He’s a government official – why would he need our consent?” Yadav remarked sarcastically. “Though he is from our party, he is also the Chief Minister. We are not always aware of his actions.”
This isn’t the first controversy over the unauthorized foreign travel of province government officials. Earlier, Madhesh Province’s first Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut was prevented from visiting the US when the foreign ministry denied approval. Raut had sought permission in May 2018 to attend the first convention of the Madheshi Association in America as the chief guest. He addressed the event via video conference from Janakpur.
Recently, Koshi Province’s Internal Affairs Minister Lilaballabh Adhikari faced controversy after traveling to Japan without authorization. Adhikari, a UML leader, flew to Japan without informing relevant authorities. He had to resign.
The protocol works both ways – officials from neighboring countries must also obtain their government’s approval before visiting Nepal. For instance, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was unable to visit Nepal until he received clearance from the Indian government.
