India Simmers Nepal's Grievance Over Origin Of Gautama Buddha Saying "Both Countries Share Buddhist Heritage"

A heated controversy erupted between India and Nepal after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday spoke on the issue of India being a moral leader in the world and gave reference of Gautam Buddha and Mahatma as the "greatest Indians".

Photo: PTI (Image used for representational purpose)

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson simmered the controversy around the origin of Gautam Bhuddha saying that External Affairs Minister’s remarks yesterday at the CII event referred to "our shared Buddhist heritage." "EAM’s remarks yesterday at the CII event referred to our shared Buddhist heritage. There is no doubt that Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini, which is in Nepal," MEA Official Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in response to the discontentment expressed by Nepal. A heated controversy erupted between India and Nepal after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at an interaction on Saturday with the CII forum (Confederation of Indian Industry) spoke on the issue of India being a moral leader in the world and gave reference of Gautam Buddha and Mahatma as the "greatest Indians". "Gautam Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi the greatest Indians that the world remembers. Soft power affirmative or practical affirmative. It is on the basis of ethics that the world moral order is built on," Jaishankar reportedly said. On this, the Nepal side expressed its dissatisfaction saying that there are "historical and archaeological evidences that Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal." In a statement released on Sunday, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Singh Durbar stated, "It is a well-established and undeniable fact proven by historical and archaeological evidences that Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal. Lumbini, the Birthplace of Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism, is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites." "During his visit to Nepal in 2014, the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi himself, while addressing Nepal’s Legislature Parliament, had said that 'Nepal is the country where apostle of peace in the world, Buddha, was born. It is true that Buddhism spread from Nepal to other parts of the world in the subsequent period'. The matter remains beyond doubt and controversy and thus cannot be a subject of debate. The entire international community is aware of this," the statement added.