INDIA ATTEMPTING TO TURN NEPAL INTO IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN: PRACHANDA

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 11 Nov.: Maoist Chairman Prachanda charged Thursday India was conspiring to turn Nepal into an Iraq or Afghanistan.
He leveled the charge in response to allegation Nepal’s Maoists were imparting military and ideological training to Indian Maoists or Naxals on Nepali soil.
Prachanda dismissed the accusation while laying a foundation stone of an overhead bridge at Kalanki to be constructed with Chinese government assistance.
“There’s a serious conspiracy against our national dignity,” the leader of the main opposition said.
Prachanda said this as Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Barsha Man Pun and Spokesman Dinanath Sharma denied New Delhi’s charges earlier.
Four top Maoist leaders have denied Indian charges over three days reflecting the seriousness with which Maoists taken the charges.
Prachanda said India ‘knowingly’ leveled the charge to push the country again into an insurgency.
‘This is very dangerous,” Prachanda said.
“Possibility for a package agreement has increased. A specific proposal has been presented. Discussions have started on power-sharing on which there is no agreement so far,” the Maoist chief said.
"There’s possibility of a package deal if the power sharing deal is agreed on,’ he said at a reception hosted by the UCPN (Maoist) Thursday in the capital.
"This is a serious conspiracy against our national dignity. All Nepalis should be aware about this," he said.






Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal wasn’t present at the reception along with Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood who is pushing the government to take action against Maoists, including a lawmaker, who insultingly hurled shoes at him in Solokhumbu at the foot of Mount Everest.
Other ambassadors were present.
Prachanda boycotted a tea reception hosted by the premier this week to mark the festive season that has just concluded.
The abuse was the first of its kind ever in Nepal.
Government hasn’t acted to Indian pressure knowing it will have adverse internal reaction.
This is not the first time Maoists have insulted an envoy accredited to Nepal.
Maoists abused then US Ambassador James F. Moriarty during an inspection visit of Bhutanese refugee camps in Jhapa.
Unlike Indians, US took a cool response to the Maoist attack.
To recall, Maoists used India as a base for their insurgency in Nepal for their rebellion inside Nepal’ Home minister during the royal regime, Kamal Thapa, even went on record accusing New Delhi for supplying arms from government armament factories to the Nepali rebels.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi even rejected King Birendra’s proposal to declare Nepal a zone of peace—a concept supported by more than 100 countries, including USA and other super powers.
King Birendra proposed both neighbouring countries shouldn’t
tolerate or encourage cross-border activities against the ruling
government.
More than two dozen underground groups are using India as a
base for rebellious activities on the terai against the central government
in Kathmandu.
UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal also talked positively at the
Maoist tea reception to celebrate Nepal Sambat 1031 on the possibility of ending a prolonged political impasse.
“Only declaration of unity needs to be announced,” Khanal said.
Meanwhile, the premier’s Press Advisor Bishnu Rijal said the Maoist claim was objectionable and baseless’ saying ‘serious attention’ had been drawn to the charge.
He rejected the allegations of Maoist military leader Barsha Man Pun who charged Nepal army (NA) on instructions of the prime minister prepared a report Maoists imparted military and ideological training to Indian Maoists or Naxals on Nepali soil.
Rijal revealed Nepal took up the issue with Chairman Prachanda Thursday.
“The prime minister has taken it seriously,” Rijal said and went on to add the allegation was an ‘attempt at character assassination of the prime minister’ which should be investigated by Maoists.
The Office of the Prime Minister took the charge seriously and issued a statement Thursday denying the accusation.
"Suspicions have been raised by various quarters about the recent visit abroad by Maoist combatants[to China] without informing the government," said Rijal.
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24 DENGUE CASES RECORDED IN CHITWAN DURING TIHAR

Kathmandu, 11 Nov.: Twenty-four additional cases of dengue were confirmed in Chitwan during the just concluded tihar celebrations, Chitwam district health officials reported Thursday.
Patients being treated in health facilities in Chitwan were from neighbouring districts, Chitwan health officials said.
An epidemic triggered by mosquito bite broke out in the central district four months ago.
Altogether 518 patients are currently undergoing treatment among
the 2,000 people who reported at district health facilities.
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UML CENTRAL MEETING RESCHEDULED

Kathmandu, 11 Nov.: A central committee meting of the UML
heading the caretaker government was rescheduled by the party
standing committee Thursday because of the busy schedule of
Chairman Jhalanath Khanal who is visiting South Africa for a
conference.
The rescheduled central committee will now be held 14 December instead of 30 November.
He central committee will attempt to resolve intra-party
differences.
Khanal welcomed what he called a ‘constitutional and welcome
decision’ of the supreme court division asking Speaker Subash
Nemwang to find alternatives to elect a prime minister.
A caretaker government has been running the country for more
than four months.
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UNMIN WILL QUIT 15 JANUARY: PM NEPAL
Kathmandu, 11 Nov.: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said Thursday that the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) will leave Nepal from mid January as per the agreement, RSS reports.

Prime Minister Nepal said this during a courtesy call paid on him by German Ambassador to Nepal, Verena Grafin von Roedern, at former's office Singha Darbar today. UNMIN will be leaving Nepal on January 15 as per the agreement made to extend UNMIN's term for the last one time, the prime minister said.

Prime Minister Nepal expressed such views while responding to a query of German Ambassador Roedern, said PM's Press Advisor Bishnu Rijal, adding that Germany was becoming a temporary member of the UN Security Council from 2011.

"I am fully devoted to conclude the ongoing peace process and forging consensus among various political parties," said Advisor Rijal, quoting the Prime Minister.

On the occasion, Ambassador Roedern expressed interest about UNMIN's future, peace process and other contemporary issues.

Ambassador Roedern had met with Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala on Wednesday and the talks between them had focused on the peace process, constitution-writing and other political issues.
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FIVE DEAD, 21 INJURED IN THREE VEHICULAR
ACCIDENTS (UPDATED STORY)

Kathmandu, 11 Nov.: Five persons died and 21 were injured in three vehicular accidents in Sarlahi, Dhanusha and Morang Thursday.
One passenger died and eight were injured in Dhanusha while one persons died on Morang.
Others died and were injured in Sarlahi Thursday morning.
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