Vijay Chauthaiwale, in charge of the foreign affairs department of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, has met top political leaders of Nepal in Kathmandu.

Chauthaiwale, who arrived on a three-day visit to Nepal on Wednesday, remained busy meeting chiefs and second-rung leaders of major political parties.

On Thursday, he met Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, former prime ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nepali Congress leaders Shekhar Koirala, Gagan Thapa, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Udaya Sumsher Rana, and senior CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Janardan Sharma, among others.

On Wednesday, he met Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Foreign Affairs Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, among others.

“It was a privilege to call on Prime Minister of Nepal Shri K P Sharma Oli ji and discuss several issues of mutual interests,” Chauthaiwale wrote on his social media platform, X. “He expressed his deep condolences on the death of innocent victims in terrorist attack in Kashmir.”

Chauthaiwale has been trying to garner the support of Nepali leaders in opposition to terrorism. India has held Pakistan responsible for last week’s terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including a Nepali citizen.

“One-to-one interaction with Nepali leaders from various political parties continues in Kathmandu,” he wrote on X on Thursday after more meetings.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated following the attack, with India taking several strong diplomatic actions against the neighbour.

Amid this, the BJP leader is trying to send a message across that Nepal and its leaders continue to stand with India in opposition to terrorism and support India’s fight against terrorism, according to a leader whom he met. Most of the leaders he met extended solidarity to India in its fight against terrorism and assured that Nepal stands firm against any form of terrorist acts in the region and beyond.

Sources said that Chauthaiwale visited Kathmandu to get assurance from the Nepali side that it stands with India in its fight against terrorism. India is seeking support from countries around the world in its fight against terrorism.

Sudip Neupane of Rupandehi was shot dead in the attack, which India blames on a Pakistani militant group.