India defends envoy to Nepal

NEW DELHI - India has reposed its “full confidence” in its ambassador to Nepal, Rakesh Sood, and rallied to his defence in the face of negative reports in a section of media, especially in Nepal, and the speculation about his likely recall.

“The media reports are unfounded. The government of India has full confidence in him,” said Vishnu Prakash, spokesperson of the external affairs ministry.

The Foreign Office also rejected as “inaccurate” a report in the Telegraph, an Indian daily, that suggested the impending replacement of Sood and the increasing unpopularity of the Indian envoy among political circles in Nepal.

Sood is a “distinguished officer of the Indian Foreign Service who has served with dedication and commitment as India’s ambassador to Nepal since April 2008,” the spokesperson said.

“During his tenure, bilateral development cooperation and dialogue between the two countries has progressed substantively,” he said in a statement.

The report in the Telegraph also quoted some Maoist leaders, who were extremely critical of Sood’s allegedly “arrogant” way of functioning in Nepal. The report said that Sood’s likely successor is Jayant Prasad, currently special secretary in the ministry of external affairs.