Prachanda flies for China; other details

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 11 Oct: Maoist Chairman flew for China Sunday on a week-long visit at the invitation of the Communist Party of China.
Mohan Baidya Kiran, Foreign Department Chief Krishna Bahadur Mahara and son Prakash are accompanying him.
Mahara said the visit will strengthen ties between the two countries and two communist parties.
Prachanda’s China visit coincides with the Beijing visit of Minister of State for Home Rijwan Ansari to discuss security along the Nepal-Tibet border amid Chinese concerns of cross-border border activities by Tibetan exiles using Nepal as a base.
China has asked for the deployment of Armed Police Force (APF) along the border to curb such activities.
Ansari is accompanied by senior security officials, including Chief of the National Investigation Department Ashok Deb Bhatta.
Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood is presently in Mustang, north of the Annapurna range along Nepal-Tibet border doling out money to schools and a monastery to increase Indian influence in the area.
Mustang a restricted area where China watches the activities of foreigners closely.
Prachanda left for China as Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Bahadur deuba is scheduled to fly to New Delhi for consultations with Indian leaders later Sunday.
Nepali leaders have again made a beeline for New Delhi.
Rashtriya Janasakti Party Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa and RPP Chairman Pashupati SJB Rana returned from New Delhi after discussions with political leaders and top diplomats.
India has been playing an interventionist role in Nepali politics after 2005.
MJF leader Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta is also in New Delhi.
Thapa said he also held discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and lashed out at Maoists Saturday after returning home.
Thapa quoted Indian leaders as saying there is no alternative to the present government.
“It is useless even to conceive of a government led by Maoists. Such talk is meaningless,” he told reporters.
“Maoists have become a laughing stock in the world. At this rate, they will be mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records,” Thapa saidridiculing Maoist threat of a popular movement.
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Trader shot dead in Birgunj

Kathmandu, 11 Oct: Trader Bishwa Nath Agrawal was shot dead overnight in Birgunj by unknown people.
His cloth shop was looted.
Violence continues unabated in the terai.
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