At a time when some Indian experts and observers are voicing support for the pro-monarchy and pro-Hindu movement in Nepal, New Delhi has clarified that it has no role in such activities.

In a meeting with Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 10th Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India has no hand in the pro-monarchy activities in Nepal.

“I told Jaishankar ji that some people in Kathmandu and even in India claim that New Delhi is supporting pro-monarchy and pro-Hindu movement in Nepal. I asked him whether such claims are true,” she told the Post. “But he categorically denied it.”

“No, no, we have no role, and we are not in it,” the foreign minister told the Post, quoting Jaishankar.

Besides Jaishankar, Deuba also met other leaders and officials at the event, which will conclude Friday.

Some pro-monarchy supporters in both Nepal and India have been claiming that India—without clarifying whether they mean the Indian establishment or the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party or its sister wings—is backing their movement.

But this is the first time a senior Indian official has clearly distanced New Delhi from the recent surge of pro-monarchy activities in Nepal.

Sources in New Delhi told the Post that Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava also gave similar clarifications to Nepal’s top political leadership including Prime Minister Oli, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Foreign Minister Deuba, among others.

Besides this issue, Deuba and Jaishankar discussed jointly developing hydropower projects in Nepal, and removing trade barriers between the two countries, according to Deuba.

When asked whether relations between Nepal and India have soured as a result of which Prime Minister Oli has not visited New Delhi despite being in office for eight months, Deuba dismissed such concerns.

“Our relations with India are very much on the right track and running smoothly. We have recently concluded meetings of several mechanisms on water resources, trade, Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, energy cooperation, among other areas,” she told the Post.

Asked about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s possible visit to Nepal for the Sagarmatha Sambad in May, she said efforts are on to host the Indian prime minister, but there has been no official confirmation.

“We are continuously following up on the visit of the Indian prime minister for Sagarmatha Sambad,” she said.

The issue of export barriers for some Nepali items due to India’s new BIS or Bureau of Indian Standards (Bureau of Indian Standards)rules also figured during the meeting between Deuba and Jaishankar.

Jaishankar told Deuba that the process of removing obstacles created by BIS regulations is underway and there are no impending hassles with Nepal.

“The barriers on some Nepali exports to India will be gradually removed,” Jaishankar told Deuba.

After her meeting with Jaishankar, posting on X, Deuba said: “A highly fruitful interaction with H.E. @DrSJaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India, on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue. H.E. Jaishankar and I took stock of bilateral ties, discussing ongoing engagements across sectors and identifying avenues for enhancing people-to-people and diplomatic exchanges. I expressed my appreciation for India’s Neighborhood First Policy and conveyed Nepal’s continued prioritization of relations with India.”

During her meeting with Ricky Gill, special assistant to the president for National Security Affairs and senior director for South and Central Asian Affairs at the US National Security Council, in New Delhi on Tuesday, Deuba sought US assistance for the release of Bipin Joshi, who is in Hamas captivity since October 7, 2023. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 10th edition of the Raisina Dialogue 2025, organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, India.

“Their discussion covered various topics, including strengthening Nepal-US relations. Deuba expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries would continue to grow,” said a statement issued by her private secretariat.

The foreign minister recalled her previous appeals to the US government for Joshi’s freedom, noting that Nepal has also sought similar support from Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and other nations. She expressed hope for US assistance in helping secure Joshi’s release.

Nepal government has been actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to secure Joshi’s freedom. Foreign Minister Deuba has consistently raised the issue at national and regional forums, including the United Nations, and through bilateral meetings.

Likewise, during her bilateral meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga on Tuesday, she urged Ukraine to release seven Nepali nationals being held as prisoners of war.

Deuba clarified that Nepal does not permit its citizens to enlist in the Russian military and urged Ukraine to swiftly release the Nepali nationals, the foreign minister’s secretariat said.

The youths reportedly joined the Russian army under false promises and were later captured by Ukrainian forces.

Earlier, during talks with the Nepal envoy to Germany, Ukraine had set some conditions for their release.

Minister Sibiga assured that Ukraine would follow legal procedures to secure their release. Additionally, Deuba sought Ukraine’s support for Nepal’s candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council for the 2027–2029 term.

In a separate development, Nepal and Ukraine signed an agreement to grant visa-free entry to holders of diplomatic and official passports, the foreign minister’s secretariat said.

Deuba was also a speaker at “Climate Cataclysm: The Adoption Agenda is Gasping” session at Raisina Dialogue on Tuesday, where she underscored the collective effort needed to combat climate change, with developing countries bearing its brunt. She stressed on climate justice and said governments and the private sector should join hands for seeking climate justice as well as receiving compensation.

“For climate justice, we have been raising the issue at the international level,” she said. “Not only the countries that have mountains, all countries are facing the crisis due to climate change, rising temperatures, ice melting and changing weather patterns.”