It has been revealed that Kumar Byanjankar (Ben), Chief Advisor to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, secretly traveled to New Delhi. During the visit, he held meetings with senior officials of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

On Wednesday, ‘Nepalkhabar.com’ published a report about Ben’s visit to New Delhi and his meetings. The report claimed that, in addition to meeting senior officials of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, he also met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. As Kantipur was also following up on this visit, it sought clarification from Chief Advisor Ben. However, he has denied both traveling to India and meeting with senior officials of the Indian government.

But according to a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ben quietly traveled to New Delhi and returned without informing Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane or Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal. According to the source, to maintain secrecy, Ben first flew to Simara with Roshan Khadka, operator of ‘Kathmandupati.com’. After that, the source said, they traveled to Delhi by road via Raxaul. According to information received by Kantipur, they left on the 19th of Asar and returned to Kathmandu on the 23rd. On the morning of Asar 19, they reached Simara on Buddha Air flight 551 at 7:35 am. Simara is the airport closest to the Simara-Raxaul border crossing. According to diplomatic sources, the Indian side arranged their road journey to Delhi. The source claims they returned the same way, departing from Simara again on the morning of Asar 23. While Ben has admitted to going to Simara, he has denied entering India. He said he went to Hetauda and Chitwan.

When asked why he returned to Kathmandu from Chitwan by road instead of by air, he said he considered the improved road conditions to be a convenient option. “Our ministers have improved the Simara–Chitwan road, so the journey is faster,” he told Kantipur.

According to ‘Nepalkhabar’, Ben discussed Nepal–India relations, Nepal’s priorities, and Prime Minister Shah’s possible visit to India with Doval. However, diplomatic sources who spoke to Kantipur claimed that Ben met not with Doval, but with senior officials of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and some high-level intelligence officials.

Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal also tried to find out about the reported meetings in New Delhi. But according to a senior official at the ministry, he could not confirm whom Ben actually met. A high-ranking official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “If he had consulted with us, we would have advised him not to make such a visit.”

On Asar 29, after receiving additional information, Kantipur again contacted Ben. At that time, too, he clearly stated that he had not gone to India. In the following week, however, his reported visit to India became a topic of widespread discussion and curiosity among those interested in foreign affairs. There has long been interest in which country Prime Minister Shah will choose for his first official foreign visit. Traditionally, Nepali prime ministers begin their first bilateral visit after taking office with a trip to India. But even after completing one hundred days in office, Prime Minister Shah has given no indication of any foreign visit.

Meanwhile, questions have arisen as to why Chief Advisor Ben went to India secretly. The issue of why he met with officials including India’s National Security Advisor Doval has also drawn attention. These meetings are believed to be related to the foreign policy of the Government of Nepal or Nepal–India relations. On this matter, Kantipur has gathered information from Ben himself, senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officials at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, some Indian journalists with access to Doval’s office, officials at the Prime Minister’s Office, and leaders of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party. However, in repeated conversations with Kantipur, Ben has reiterated his claim that he did not go to India and had no reason to go there.