Kathmandu, Oct 24 (ANI): Under sharp criticism from various quarters including his own party UCPN (Maoist) for signing the Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) agreement with India during his recent visit to New Delhi, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Monday said such criticisms were "baseless and inaccurate".
Briefing the Parliament about the deals he signed with India, Bhattarai said that the BIPPA deal is not "anti-national" as is being portrayed.
Urging everyone not to create controversies over the matter, Bhattarai claimed the agreements signed and agreed upon between Nepal and India during his India visit were on the 'best interest' of Nepal.
It was a necessity for the establishment of Indian companies in Nepal in order to create employment opportunities and increase revenue, Bhattarai argued.
Saying that Nepal had already signed the BIPPA with five different countries, Bhattarai said the agreement was signed with India following the same norms and tradition.
"Foreign investment is our compulsion at a time when there are limited sources in the nation," said Bhattarai.
Earlier, Bhattarai came under heavy fire in Parliament on Monday with the opposition flaying him for inking a bilateral protection agreement.
His own party criticised him for signing the agreement.
UCPN (Maoist) General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa said that the national independence was at stake due to the agreement signed during Bhattarai's four-day official visit to India.
He also said that Bhattarai should confess his mistake on signing the agreement and should withdraw it at the earliest.
Thapa also warned of dire consequences unless the agreement was scrapped by sending an official letter to India, Nepalnews reports. (ANI)
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