The government has refuted the statement of former prime minister and UML chair KP Sharma Oli and claimed that it has no plan to open any university at Mustang.

On Sunday, Oli had fiercely criticised the government for “harming relations with China” by planning to establish a Buddhist college with the support of India in Mustang, a district that borders Tibet of China.

Issuing a statement, government spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said that the government had not decided to establish any such institution in the district. Sharma also stated there was information that Baragung Mukti Chhetra Rural Municipality of Mustang had written to the Indian Embassy seeking financial assistance to establish a college. The government would investigate the matter.

“A public statement floated in the media attributing to the former prime minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli has drawn the serious attention of the Nepal government. We will study and investigate the matter and the government will make it clear through a statement,” the minister said.

“The statement that the government was preparing to establish a university at Baragung Mukti Chhetra Rural Municipality of Mustang on the proposal of one country and targeting another was illusionary. The government would like to make it clear that no decision has been taken to this effect.”

The government has also expressed serious concern saying that such remarks could affect the country’s foreign relations. “It is not appropriate to speak in a way that affects the country’s foreign policy,” said the statement.

Sharma further clarified that the government was committed to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, integrity, national interests and independent and non-aligned foreign policy.