CREW MEMBERS IDENTIFIED Kathmandu, 28 Sept.: Captain Bijaya Tandukar, co-Pilot Takeshi Thapa and airhostess Ruja Shakya were the crew embrs of the Sita Air Twin otter. nnnn SUSHIL KOIRALA IN MEETING WITH INDIAN ENVOY CONDEMNS MAOIST BAN OF INDIAN FILMS, MOVEMENT OF INDIAN REGISTERED VEHICLES Kathmandu, 28 Sept.: Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala on Thursday said his party ‘seriously’ condemns the CPN-Maoist’s move to ban plying of Indian vehicles in Nepal and screening of Hindi movies, The Kathmandu Post reports. In a meeting with Indian Ambassador Jayanta Prasad at his residence, the NC president also distanced his party away from the “movement for national sovereignty” launched by the Maoist party. The NC and CPN-Maoist, along with other opposition parties, have recently declared an alliance against the government, vowing to topple PM Baburam Bhattarai through street protests. In a meeting of the alliance on Thursday morning at the CPN-UML’s headquarters, Koirala asked the CPN-Maoist to shun all kinds of anti-Indian rhetoric, saying that such a move would destabilise their main goal of ousting PM Bhattarai. “The Indian envoy expressed concern over the CPN-Maoist’s opposition to the screening of Indian movies and plying of Indian vehicles. We made it clear that the Maoist party’s move was not part of the joint programme, and the NC has nothing to do with this,” NC spokesperson Dilendra Prasad Badu said. In the meeting with Koirala, the Indian envoy sought NC’s official position on the CPN-Maoist’s moves. According to sources, India has been expressing serious concern about the CPN-Maoist moves with leaders of various political parties. “It is the time to topple the government through a joint struggle and not announce a separate movement against Indian vehicles and cinemas,” Koirala told the meeting of the opposition parties. Indian embassy officials also talked with other NC leaders like Ram Chandra Poudel and advised them to be careful while joining hands with the CPN-Maoist. The Indian officials told the NC leaders that the anti-India move is against the spirit of democracy and that it will invite violence, according to sources. Poudel later spoke to CPN-Maoist leader Dev Gurung and urged him to take back the decision. Health Minister Rajendra Mahato on Thursday said the government will take stern action against people stopping Indian vehicles from plying in Nepal and barring screening of Hindi movies. Talking to media persons in Inaruwa here, the minister said the move of the CPN-Maoist is illegal. Nnnn INDIAN VEHICLES STOPPED AT BORDER Kathmandu, 28 Sept.: - Indian vehicles entering the country with imported goods and tourists returned from border points on Thursday due to a 'ban' imposed by the CPN-Maoist, The Kathmandu Post reports . Activists of the Mohan Baidya-led Maoist party barred around 500 vehicles with Indian number plates from entering the country along the Nepalgunj-Rupaidiha border. Students aligned to the CPN-Maoist staged a demonstration at the Mahendra Multiple Campus near the border, prompting many Indian vehicles to return. They also stopped Indian vehicles in other parts of Nepalgunj, including the Campus Road and BP Chowk. At least 150 vehicles bringing in goods from India are stranded near the Nepalgunj customs office. CPN-Maoist student leader Sher Bahadur Bohara said their protest was largely peaceful and successful. Police said no untoward event was reported in course of the protest. In the east, not a single Indian vehicle entered the country via Kakadbhitta, said Umesh Shrestha, the acting chief of the Mechi Customs Office. Indian tourists parked their vehicles at the border and took local vehicles from Kakadbhitta to their destinations. A commotion ensued at the Mechi bridge in the morning after Nepali police allegedly barred Indian vehicles from entering the country. Security personnel finally let the vehicles pass after the Indian vehicle owners threatened to ban Nepali vehicles from entering their country. Bijay Dalmiya of the Mechi Chamber of Commerce and Industries accused the police of aiding the CPN-Maoist protest. Police Inspector Laxmi Bhandari, however, said they were only trying to notify the vehicle owners about the ongoing protest. Indian vehicles also did not ply the districts that fall under the Tamsaling state of the party, which includes Chitwan, Makwanpur and Dhading. The party has also banned screening and broadcast of Indian movies and TV channels in the Tamsaling districts. The embargo had little affect on goods and passenger carriers entering the country through the Bhairahawa border point. It, however, had no effect on the borders in Birgunj and Biratnagar. nnnn