Kathmandu, August 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) MP Vidushi Rana on Thursday thanked India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending assistance whenever the Himalayan nation faces a disaster, saying the immediate priority of Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s government is to save as many lives as possible.
Rana’s remarks came as Nepal continued to deal with the devastation caused by the Bhote Koshi floods, which have claimed at least 270 lives, with scores of people, including Indian nationals, still missing.
Speaking to IANS, Rana described the situation as deeply distressing and said she had spent the night worrying about families whose loved ones remained unaccounted for.
“Whatever happened is very, very unfortunate. I haven’t slept all night just thinking about people, about families who are missing their children, missing their loved ones, and just hoping for some good news to come, just to know that everything is okay,” she said.
Rana said the disaster was among the worst to hit Nepal since the 2015 earthquake. She said the government was taking proactive measures, with rescue operations being treated as the immediate priority.
According to the RSP MP, both government and private helicopters have been deployed for rescue operations. Hospitals in Kathmandu have also kept beds available, with less urgent surgeries scheduled for Thursday and Friday being postponed to accommodate possible flood victims.
“The government is working very hard as we want to save as many lives as possible,” she said.
Rana expressed particular gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for his response to the disaster.
“I am really, really thankful to PM Modi because, as soon as this happened, he gave a condolence message to the families who are suffering and to the country. We’ve already received a lot of relief materials from India. Every time there is a disaster, we get help from India,” she said.
She added that Nepal was also receiving offers of assistance from the international community, including support involving ambulances and other emergency resources.
Highlighting the longstanding relationship between the two countries, Rana described Nepal as fortunate to have India as a neighbour and referred to the 1,751-km open border between the two countries.
She said the relationship extended beyond geography and trade, encompassing shared cultures, traditions and the longstanding “Roti-Beti” ties between people on both sides of the border.
“Historically, geographically, and in every way, we have been connected,” she said.
Meanwhile, BJP National Executive Member Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, who is currently in Kathmandu, described the scenes of destruction as frightening and deeply painful.
Sahasrabuddhe said India and its people had expressed solidarity with Nepal and noted that the tragedy had also highlighted the close ties between the two countries.
He compared India-Nepal relations to those of two brothers living in the same family, stressing that there was no question of one being the elder or younger brother.
“There is no elder brother or younger brother in this relationship…It is a people-to-people relationship between both nations,” he said.
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