Visiting Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dinesh Upadhyay, who is the national co-convener of the BJP medical cell, said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Nepal soon and worship at the Pashupatinath temple. Modi wanted to visit Nepal ahead of Bhutan which did not happen due to some technical reasons, Upadhyay said at the Reporters’ Club in Kathmandu on Saturday. He said that he had met several leaders during his five-day stay in Kathmandu and solicited views on strengthening Nepal-India relations. Echoing the views by some BJP leaders on “growing cases of religious conversion taking place in Nepal”, Upadhyay said the state should protect Hinduism. “We are particularly concerned about the growing number of forced conversions of poor people in Nepal from one religion into another and we strongly oppose it.” The BJP has been sending its medium rung leaders and former diplomats to Kathmandu after its resounding electoral victory in India possibly to devise a future policy vis-à-vis Nepal. (PR)
