India has said the latest political development in Nepal have brought the monarchy and mainstream political parties in direct confrontation with each other and warned that it would only benefit forces that wish to undermine democracy.
"We will continue to support the restoration of political stability and economic prosperity in Nepal, a process which requires reliance on the forces of democracy and the support of the people of Nepal," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement in New Delhi.
Also see: Emergency imposed in Nepal
In an hour-long meeting, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the political crisis in Nepal. Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran spoke to India's Ambassador in Kathmandu S S Mukherjee to get an update.
"The King of Nepal has dissolved the multi-party government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and has decided to constitute a Council of Ministers under his own Chairmanship. An emergency has been declared and fundamental rights have been suspended.
"These developments constitute a serious setback to the cause of democracy in Nepal and cannot but be a cause of grave concern to India," the MEA statement said.
