NEW DELHI: The Manmohan Singh-led Government has allowed the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to manage the country's foreign policy by proxy, the Bharatiya Janata Party said on Monday.

After the former External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, resigned following accusations in the Volcker case, the country has had "no independent Foreign Minister," BJP president Rajnath Singh said on Monday. He criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has since held the External Affairs portfolio.

Addressing the party's national executive committee meeting, Mr. Singh held the Government responsible for the current political situation in Nepal, as it had failed "to take any meaningful and constructive initiative" in time. Indirectly, Mr. Singh made it clear that the BJP was unhappy that Maoists could have a major say in any future set-up in Nepal.

There was a "dangerous collusion between the Nepal Maoists, terrorists in Bangladesh and Pakistan's ISI." The Left parties in India had something to do with this. The Congress was repeating in Nepal the "historical blunder" it had committed in Tibet.

Mr. Singh accused the Left of "targeting Sri Lanka" and interfering in the Government's policies in that region.

The Left was also inciting communal feelings among Muslims on international issues relating to Iran and Iraq. The Government was also misleading the country on the nuclear agreement with the U.S., he alleged.

The Government was responsible for the LTTE becoming more active, the Taliban rearing its head again in Afghanistan, and Maoists increasing their political influence in Nepal, he added.

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