The university has issued a public notice, informing that its convocation function which was set to take place on June 12 has been deferred.

Koirala, who was invited to the event as a special guest, was expected to meet with the heads of state and government from Saarc member countries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Although Koirala was invited just to attend the university function, Nepal had been making diplomatic efforts to make the Prime Minister’s proposed visit a bilateral one. To that end, the government had instructed Nepali envoy to India, Deep Kumar Upadhayay, to make the necessary arrangements.     

Upadhayay had met with several Indian officials in New Delhi to lobby to make the visit a bilateral one, so that Prime Minister Koirala could have several official engagements with senior Indian officials, including President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Modi.

At home, the cancellation of the convocation has been read differently. Officials privy to the development told the Post that India was not ready to make Koirala’s visit a bilateral affair, not when the political parties in Nepal are considering formation of a national consensus government, possibly under a new leadership.