New Delhi: The Indian government on Friday refused to comment on Nepal government's announcement of ceasefire with Maoists, but said that major challenges before the Himalayan kingdom should be tackled "through peaceful political means."
"We have taken note of the announcements made yesterday. As you know, the new government has a roadmap that they have discussed in Parliament and it is up to the government to pursue this further," said Navtej Sarna, spokesperson of the external affairs ministry.
He said the announcement of ceasefire had been "directed towards the Maoists and so it would not be correct for me to make any statement at this stage."
Sarna was responding to a question about announcement of ceasefire by the government with the Maoists and offer to remove terrorist tag from the rebels.
"As you know, our general position is that the challenges that Nepal faces have to be sorted out through peaceful political means," he said.
Asked about the possibility of Nepal Prime Minister G P Koirala travelling to India shortly, Sarna said he had no information on that.
Sarna also quashed media reports that Indian troops would be sent to Afghanistan to be a part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
"There is no such proposal," he said when asked about a media report that Britain had asked India to send its troops to Afghanistan to be part of international security bodies deployed there.
The report said that the British proposal was put forth by Prime Minister Tony Blair's foreign policy adviser Nigel Shinwald during his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.
Shinwald had reportedly said that India ought to contribute troops for the ISAF in Afghanistan to do justice to its own increased role and strategic requirements in that country.
The report came close on the heels of abduction and killing of engineer K Suryanarayana by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
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