(Image source from: news18.com)

Nepal's ban on Indian currency notes of denominations higher than Rs 100 has triggered a blame game as Senior Indian National Congress leader and the former Union Minister Shakeel Ahmad on Monday held the "arrogance" of the National Democratic Alliance government responsible.

The ban was causing great inconvenience to the people living along the Indo-Nepal border, he said.

"Our relations with Nepal have been under strain on account of the immaturity and poor understanding of diplomatic matters of the current dispensation. It started with (PM Narendra) Modi's address to Madheshis during his visit to Janakpur," he told reporters here.

Madheshis are Nepalese citizens of Indian-origin.

Janakpur, a renowned pilgrimage center considered to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita, was visited by Modi in May.

"The minister for external affairs offended the people of Nepal by saying Modi had addressed Indians living in Nepal. Historically, Nepal has never been a part of India. The Madheshis may have much in common with us in terms of customs but they are, nevertheless, Nepalese citizens," Ahmad said.

He claimed that there were protests in the neighboring country but the Modi government, in its "arrogance", did not pay any heed.

"This has now led to the situation that Nepal, the only country other than Bhutan where Indian currency is in circulation, has disallowed transactions in high denomination notes. Millions of people live along the Indo-Nepal border and they are facing a lot of inconveniences," he alleged.

The remark by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had led to a Nepalese lawmaker terming the lapse a casual undermining of Nepal's sovereignty. However, she later apologized for remarks.

-Sowmya