Bayana MLA Ritu Banawat among people from Rajasthan stranded in Nepal

Independent MLA Ritu Banawat, representing Bharatpur district’s Bayana constituency, was among the people from Rajasthanstranded in Nepal amid the ongoing violent protests in the Himalayan country. Accompanied by her family members, Ms. Banawat, 41, is staying in a village at the Nepal-China border on way to Kailash Manasrovar.

Two other groups of 200 passengers from Jaipur and nearby villages and 35 people from Udaipur, who were on a pilgrimage trip from Ram temple in Ayodhya to Pashupati Nath temple in Nepal, have also found themselves caught up in the chaos and unrest that has gripped Nepal for the last two days.

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The pilgrims from Udaipur included former Municipal Councillor Anil Singhal and his family members. Mr. Singhal’s flight, scheduled for Wednesday, was cancelled, according to the information received from the group. All the tourists have been advised to stay put and wait for the situation to become normal.

Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani said in the House on the Monsoon session’s last day on Wednesday that the State government was making efforts for Ms. Banawat’s safe return. “The government is in touch with the Indian Embassy in Nepal. The evacuation of all the stranded Rajasthanis will start as soon as the situation becomes normal,” Mr. Devnani said.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma also voiced concern over the situation in Nepal and said the State government was closely monitoring the situation. The Rajasthan police has set up a special cell to assist the residents of the State and their families stranded in Nepal. The cell was established at the office of the Additional Director General (Law & Order) in Jaipur.

Ms. Banawat – a doctorate degree holder – contested the 2023 Assembly election as an independent candidate after being denied a ticket by the Bharatiya Janata Party. She has been vocal on the public issues in her constituency and came to the limelight when she clashed with the administration over water supply to Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur district.