By IANS,
Kathmandu : India became the first country to congratulate Nepal on the first meet of its constituent assembly that abolished the nation’s 239-year-old monarchy and declared the country a federal secular republic.
Somnath Chatterjee, speaker of Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian parliament, sent a letter congratulating Kul Bahadur Gurung, the officiating chair of the constituent assembly, that was read out before the proclamation of republic.
Offering his felicitations on behalf of the Indian parliament, government and the people of India, Chatterjee said the successful formation of the assembly was the result of painstaking efforts and sacrifices made by Nepal’s people and political leadership for the cause of democracy.
“We hope the discussions of the constituent assembly will be inspired by their sacrifice and reflect the spirit of cooperation and political consensus that lie at the heart of all democracies,” the message said.
Calling the constituent assembly election an example for aspiring democracies across the world, the Indian speaker said that as a close friend and neighbour of Nepal, India remained “steadfast in its commitment to extend all possible support to Nepal in realizing the goal of a stable, prosperous and democratic Nepal.”