BJP cautions Maoists on anti-India and anti-Hindu stances

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 20: The party waiting to form a government in New Delhi cautioned Maoists not to adopt anti-India or anti-Hindu stances.
The main opposition BJP central officials adopted the stance at a meeting Friday.
“Till recently, Nepal was a Hindu nation and because it was Hindu nation, it dealt equitably with tis citizens belonging to other faiths. Now, Nepal is being declared a secular state. We hope that under the new dispensation, Nepal will not become anti-Hindu and anti-India,” a resolution said, according to The Kathmandu Post.
BJP asked Maoists not to be like Cambodia’s Pol Pot or North Korea and ensure freedom and opposition views.
The meeting asked the government to follow the fluid situation in Nepal closely.
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Nepal deploys army, police on Everest to prevent Free Tibet activities

Kathmandu, 20 April: Possibly for the first time, Nepal has deployed dozens of army and police personnel on Mount Everest in a bid to foil any Free Tibet movement against China as Tibetan activists have threatened to spoil the Olympic torch relay, The Kathmandu Post reports in its Sunday editions.
… 25 army and police personnel have reached camp II (6,500m) with logistics and mountaineering gear to prevent any activities against China, confirmed spokesman of Home Ministry Mod Raj Hotel. These personnel have received special mountaineering training.
Dotel said that the security personnel have been instructed to open fire if protests against China turn violent and go out of control in the Everest region.
“If the security personnel feel pressure to control any untoward incident, we have made aan arrangement to deploy additional forces during Olympics torch run,” said Dotel…
Krishna Prasad Gyanwali, under-secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, said the army personnel [11 offices] would accompany expedition teams as liaison officers and would ensure that no climber goes above camp II before May 11.

… the government was forced to deploy security forces so that no potential protestor would be able to climb the peak and organize any anti-China movement from the Nepalese side.

[Note: Civilian LOs often stay in the capital taking perks from expeditions per rules and don’t monitor expedition activities at base camp. This is the first time security personnel have been attached to expeditions with specific instruction to stop anti-China Free Tibet activities. But this is not the first time LOs have been appointed.]
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No Maoist talks with USA on government formation; other details

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 20 April: Maoists aren’t in talks with representatives of US government they hope to lead as the largest party after the 10 April assembly elections.
Maoists are still on Washington’s terrorist list and hope they will be de-listed after the electoral triumph.
‘Except for the USA, we are engaged in diplomatic consultations with India, China, European Union and diplomats of other countries..” CP Gajurel, party foreign affairs chief said.
Chairman Prachanda held discussions with Indian Ambassador Shib Shankar Mukherjee Sunday.
India, in also in a dilemma on how to handle Maoists after banking on a Congress, CPN-UML victory.
Congress (I) of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi doesn’t have relations with Nepal’s Maoists—a relationship that India’s ruling party was attempting to forge after helping to propel it to power.
Ties between India and Maoists soured after the former rebels joined the political mainstream in April 2006.
In an effort to develop ties, Indian officials have been trying hard to sell the idea that Nepal’s Maoists and India’s Naxalites don’t have operational links.
India is now trying to project the government of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, with which it had extensive relations, as illegitimate.
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No majority for Maoists even in direct elections

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 20 April: Maoists won’t get a majority, as expected earlier, in direct elections as well elections as well.
Final results for direct elections for 240 seats in the CA will come in Monday, election officials said.
CPN (Maoist) has bagged 118 of 235 seats declared so far and are leading in two constituencies where vote counting in progress; Madesh Janaadhikar Forum is leading in two other constituencies and CPN-UML in one.
Congress, CPN-UML, Fourm, Tarai Madesh Loktantrik Party and NSP (Mahoti)have collected 37, 32, 28, nine and four seats each.
Janamorcha Napal, Nepal Majdoor Kishan Party and independents have won two seats each; Rashtriya Janamorcha has won one seat.
Mahanata Thakur who defected to TMLP from Congress was defeated by Forum candidate Shiba Pujan Raya by 272 votes in Sarlahi-1. Thakur, a close friend of Premier Koirala and top Congress party functionary, led the rebellion in the party to join the regional party he launched.
Amresh Singh, described in the Nepali media as a RAW plant in Baluwatar and Congress, came third behind Thakur.
Altogether 21 parties, elected directly and indirectly, will be represented in the CA; Maoists also lead in vote counting for indirect elections.
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Royal palace denial

Kathmandu, 20 April: The royal palace Sunday denied what it described as ‘imaginary’ news relating to it.
The three sentence denial didn’t way what the news was though.
But some foreign media reports have said the king was going into exile after assembly election results in which Maoists have emerged as the largest party in the 601-member constituent assembly.
Top Maoist leaders, through public statements, have asked the king to quit.
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