New Delhi, May 18: Criticised for resumption of military aid to King Gyanendra’s government, India today tried to put Kathmandu under some pressure again.

Delhi welcomed the move by seven Nepalese parties to form an alliance to fight the challenge posed by the royal takeover and nudged the king to start a dialogue with them.

“India welcomes the common programme announced by major Nepalese political parties to address the challenges facing Nepal,” foreign ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna said this afternoon.

“Together, the seven political parties represent about 95 per cent of the erstwhile Pratinidhi Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) of Nepal.”

The announcement is also an attempt to salvage its image among the Left at home and the pro-democracy groups in Nepal, which criticised Delhi’s decision to resume defence cooperation with Nepal.

Perhaps it was the opposition from the Left that forced the UPA government to clarify that it wasn’t sending arms but only some of the trucks, jeeps and night-vision equipment that were in the pipeline.

The foreign ministry spokesperson sent a clear message that the seven-party alliance’s common programme represents a “good basis for discussions and commencement of a dialogue between political parties and the monarchy”.

“The common programme underlines the key goals of restoration of multi-party democracy and resolving the violent conflict in Nepal,” he said. “It presents a roadmap with detailed steps required to attain these objectives.”

The king was also under pressure at home, forced by the Supreme Court to free nine top leaders detained since he seized power on February 1. Yesterday, the court ruled that the politicians had been held illegally and must be freed.