EAM Dr S Jaishankar is naturally dumbfounded by the Nepali cliams!

Nepal on Sunday objected to External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar referring to Gautam Buddha as one of the "two greatest Indians" apart from Mahatma Gandhi. The Nepalese Foreign Ministry took strong objection to the comment.

"It is a well-established and undeniable fact proven by historical and undeniable evidences that Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal," a statement from the spokesperson of the Nepalese Foreign Ministry said. It went on to add that Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2014 visit had said "Nepal is the country where the apostle of peace in the world, Buddha, was born".

Soon after Nepal's objection, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded with, "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."

While addressing 'India@75', a virtual summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), EAM Dr S Jaishankar had counted Lord Buddha as one of the two greatest Indians apart from Mahatma Gandhi.

Among those who took exception to Jaishankar's statement was Nepal's former foreign secretary Madhuraman Acharya who said in a tweet, "Some 2270 years ago, Indian Emperor Ashok erected a pillar at Lumbini in Nepal to mark the birthplace of Buddha. That monument stands taller than any self-aggrandizing claim to say that Buddha was an "Indian"! Period !!"

Leela Mani Paudyal, former Nepalese Chief Secretary also responded on Twitter saying, "Gautam Buddha is Nepali by birth, who was born in Lumbini, Nepal and Buddhism is the common heritage of humanity! Claim alone does not change the status of the greatest thinker and teacher of life and world in the past 3000 years of time."