Prime Minister Narendra Modi is sending Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to participate on his behalf at the Bibaha Panchami ceremony at Janakpur in Nepal on December 12.
Janakpur is the birthplace of Sita and thousands of Hindus from Nepal and India are expected to take part in the grand religious function scheduled for December 12.
Nepal foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali said on Monday that Modi sent a message to his Nepalese counterpart KP Oli that Adityanath would represent him at the Bibaha Panchami ceremony, which marks the marriage of Ram and Sita of Jankapur.
“We had invited Modi to participate in the Bibaha Panchami but he communicated he is unable to visit,” said Gyawali. “On his behalf, he is sending the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh to represent the government of India at the ceremony.”
According to officials, Modi called off his visit because of commitments related to state assembly elections. The planned inauguration of the new cross-border rail link between Janakpur and Jayanagar, funded by the government of India, was postponed after Modi expressed his inability to visit.
“Had Modi been able to visit, the railway line would have been jointly inaugurated by him and Oli but it has now been postponed until further notice,” said a Nepal government official.
{{/usCountry}}“Had Modi been able to visit, the railway line would have been jointly inaugurated by him and Oli but it has now been postponed until further notice,” said a Nepal government official.
{{/usCountry}}After receiving Modi’s communication, the Nepal government has to formally invite the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, which shares a long border with Nepal, to the ceremony.
“We are going to make the event a grand success,” Province No 2 chief minister Lalbabu Rauta told media recently