Prachanda’s five-day official visit to Beijing is in a sharp departure from tradition where India has been the first port of call for most previous Nepalese prime ministers.

Nepali Congress general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi criticised the newly-elected Prime Minister for visiting China to attend the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics at a time when thousands of people have been rendered homeless due to widespread floods in Nepal.

Speaking at a function in the capital, he said the Prime Minister should have spent 4-5 days to comfort the flood victims, who are not getting adequate relief materials, instead of visiting China to watch the Olympics closing ceremony.

Nidhi also stressed that it was India, which invited him first for the visit, but Prachanda went to China without accepting or rejecting the Indian invitation.

Rejecting the allegation, Maoist Minister for Law and Justice Dev Gurung said Prachanda’s visit to China cannot be regarded as directed against India.

He said the Maoist-led government has vowed to follow the policy of “equidistance” between India and China.