Indian lawmakers barred from visiting camps

Kakarvitta, January 19: Sima Surakshya Bal (SSB) of India has barred a delegation of Indian lawmakers from entering Nepal to visit camps where the exiled Bhutanese have been living under UNHCR protection.

Convener of Bhutan Solidarity and Indo-Bhutan Friendship Society Mohan Tamang, who is coordinating the event, informed Bhutan News Service that the SSB personnel have stopped the delegation comprising Debrata Biswas, general secretary of Forward Bloc who arrived at Bagdogra airport via Indian Airlines at 11:35 am. Forward Bloc is part of the ruling UPA government in India.

Tamang further quoted the officials at Indian local authorities as saying that the delegation was stopped at Panitanki, Indo-Nepal border, in accordance local law.

Tamang informed that the delegation was scheduled to visit Beldangi camp in Jhapa today at around 2 pm.

Meanwhile, Vice-President of Bhutan People's Party Jagirman Lama informed that hundreds of exiled Bhutanese are at line-up in Birtamode-Kakarvitta road section to welcome the Indian lawmakers to camps.

Indian parliamentarian Biswas has been playing important role in mobilizing other parliamentarians in Delhi to accelerate the repatriation process of the exiled Bhutanese.

Tamang further said that the delegation is holding a press conference at the Sangam Restaurant near Panitanki citing SSB's denial to allow them to enter Nepal. Bhutan News Service